A Salute to Maine's Small Business

BY DEBRA BELLBANGOR DAILY NEWS

From potatoes to stone, Benedicta native

Matthew Qualey, owner of Qualey Granite &

Quartz at 1506 State St. in Veazie, has always

been a hard worker.

And that hard work has paid off with a

successful granite and quartz fabrication

business as well as with the honor of being

named Maine’s Small Business Person of the

Year by the U.S. Small Business Administra-

“It took a couple of days to sink in,”

Qualey said. “It’s a big deal and lends another

level of credibility to the business. I’m cer-

tainly [very] proud to have received it but it

wouldn’t have happened without a lot of help

and support.”

That help and support came from Bangor

Savings Bank which helped him gain funding

through a SBA-guaranteed loan, the hard

work of a talented staff, a supportive family,

and a tenacity to provide excellent customer

service while producing high quality prod-

“I nominated Matt because he has shown

substantial growth over the last seven years

due to his and [his wife] Laurie’s hard work,

integrity and commitment to the highest

level of customer service,” said Vicki L. Bes-

sette, president of business services at Bangor

Savings Bank. “The result of these efforts is a

reputation in the marketplace that fuels their

growth.”

Qualey got his start in the granite busi-

ness a decade ago partly by accident. He was

studying to earn a Ph.D. from the University

of Maine in clinical neuropsychology.

“While I was preparing for graduate

school, I started working for a stonemason,”

he said. “I found that I really liked it and I

pulled out of graduate school.”

The decision to leave graduate school was

one of the hardest decisions he’s ever made,

he said. With a loan from his mother- and

father-in-law, he bought a lawn mower and a

truck and started doing lawn work while he

prepared to buy a monument shop on State

Street in Bangor.

When the stone worker that had been

working with Qualey abruptly left, he had

more orders than he could handle. Declar-

ing bankruptcy was never an option, and he

knew he had to step up to fulfi ll client orders.

He enrolled himself and his brother in train-

ing, sold the landscaping equipment, and

dove in, Qualey said.

“A lot of our customers at the time were

physicians doing renovations, buying houses,

and buying camps,” Qualey said. “The busi-

ness just grew. We stayed [on State Street]

until 2006 or 2007. The shop got small fast.”

So when it came to expanding, Qualey

knew he’d need funding to take the next step.

That’s where Bessette and Bangor Savings

Bank came into the picture.

“We didn’t have any money and they

were the only ones willing to work with us,”

Qualey said.

He refi nanced an existing loan and did a

SBA guaranteed loan to purchase high-tech

equipment and lease a facility in Brewer to

serve as his warehouse and manufacturing

center.

In 2010, the warehouse and home design

center were merged into its current location

in Veazie, formerly home to Gagne Precast.

Today, Qualey Granite & Quartz employs 18

people including Matt and his wife Laurie.

The company will be hiring more employees

later this year when a Portland offi ce opens.

And the company is now wholesale only.

An important part of the Qualey brand is

its focus on giving back to the community

— namely in the form of supporting animal

rescue.

Walk into the showroom and you’ll be

greeted by beautiful granite and stone

samples on the left and the Rescue Pets Rock!

brand on the right. The Qualeys own three

rescued Chihuahuas — the newest arrival,

11-year-old Teddy; 9-year-old Penelope; and

3-year-old Gaius — and a 3-year-old retired

greyhound named Baron. In fact, Baron goes

to the offi ce with Matt each day and happily

greets visitors. The couple’s fi rst chihuahua,

Piper, is also part of the Rescue Pets brand

which was initially started by Laurie to honor

his memory. And then there’s Hannibal the

warehouse cat “manager,” a feral cat rescued

by the Bangor Humane Society.

They give back, through Rescue Pets Rock!,

and by supporting pet adoption.

“We don’t have children, but wanted to

2 A SALUTE TO MAINE’S SMALL BUSINESS • Friday, May 31, 2013

A SALUTE TO MAINE’S SMALL BUSINESS

Matthew Qualey of Qualey Granite & Quartz,Small Business Person of the Year

This special section was produced and published by BDN Maine - www.BDNMaine.com

Editor/Layout: David M. Fitzpatrick

Writers: Debra Bell, David M. Fitzpatrick

Photos: Debra Bell, David M. Fitzpatrick; some photos submitted by others

Advertising Sales: Linda Hayes, Sam Hoad

Cover Design: Carolina Rave

Special Thanks: Marilyn Geroux and the Maine Small Business Administration

If you’d like to advertise in next year’s Salute to Maine’s Small Businesses, or if you’d like to reach a

wide audience with your organization’s message in your own customized special section. contact Jeff

Orcutt at jorcutt@bangordailynews.com or (207) 990-8036.

PHOTO COURTESY OF BELL’S FURRY FRIENDS PHOTOGRAPHY

Matt Qualey and his wife Laurie pose with their dogs Teddy (from left), Penelope, Gaius, and Baron.

See QUALEY, page 9

A SALUTE TO MAINE’S SMALL BUSINESS • Friday, May 31, 2013 3

A Small Business AdministrationParticipation Lender &

Top Performing Credit Union 2013

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www.norstatefcu.org

BY DAVID M. FITZPATRICKBANGOR DAILY NEWS

Cory LaPlante always wanted to work for

his father in his Aroostook County con-

struction business, but at 15, his life’s focus

abruptly changed when he lost most of his

left leg to an osteosarcoma. His doctors at

Massachusetts General Hospital referred him

to a prosthetist in New Hampshire, which

meant the Aroostook County boy made long

trips for his appointments.

When his prosthetic was damaged two

days before his senior prom, he made a fast

trip to his prosthetist. While driving home,

it struck him as ridiculous that his self-

employed parents paid expensive insurance

premiums — but he had a 500-mile round

trip for his care.

“We pay the same rates in northern Maine

as people do in southern Maine, so why is it

we have to drive so far to get treatment?” he

recalled.

LaPlante resolved to become a prosthetist

and open a practice in The County. After un-

dergraduate work in the UMaine System and

postgraduate work at the University of Con-

necticut, he did a one-year residency at Maine

Artifi cial Limb in Portland. Directly after, he

opened Northern Prosthetics in Presque Isle

in 2007. For the fi rst two years, he worked in

a cramped space, had few clients, and drew

zero salary. He was a one-man operation:

practitioner, marketing, billing, and janitor.

He turned a tiny profi t in the third year, still

with no salary, but he felt success looming.

“Nobody could stop me now,” he said.

Meanwhile, he was getting orthotics refer-

rals, but he wasn’t certifi ed in orthotics. He

soon hired Bryan Rammell, who had attend-

ed grad school with him; Rammell relocated

his family from Mississippi to Presque Isle,

and LaPlante soon hired an offi ce manager.

But with payroll looming and $5,000 in pay-

ables due, LaPlante had just $836 in his bank

account. With many outstanding receivables

but no cash on hand, he was about to fold.

He couldn’t let down his new hires or his

original investors.

“I couldn’t fail,” he said. “I’d worked too

hard, come too far, and faced too many chal-

lenges.”

He went to Katahdin Trust, which fi rst

extended him a line of credit and later loaned

him expansion money. In April 2011, LaPlan-

te broke ground on his new building on

Presque Isle’s Academy Street, the center of

the medical community. His father handled

the excavation. His uncle did the plumbing.

A friend ran the wiring. And LaPlante was

there after work and on weekends, helping

however he could.

“It was a really small-town kind of feel,”

he said. “It was all people that I knew and

people that I trusted.”

Later, he added Wade Bonneson, an

orthotist and prosthetist with 30 years of

experience, Joanna Newlands, a specialist in

mastectomy prosthetics. He’s added adminis-

trative staff and even hired a former cobbler

who has become a natural at fabrication.

And he’s planning full-time satellite offi ces in

Houlton and Fort Kent.

Northern Prosthetics & Orthotics provides

a vast variety of prosthetics and orthotics.

Practitioners work closely with patients to

create custom prosthetics on site, from mak-

ing molds of partial limbs to designing the

fi nished products. His fabrication shop is a

fascinating combination of disciplines: part

doctor’s lab, part mechanic’s garage, part

artist’s studio. He merges those things into a

deep caring for what he does.

“To see somebody come in with limb defi -

ciency [and] literally walk out of [my] offi ce

with a prosthesis is extremely rewarding,” he

Cory LaPlante of Northern Prosthetics & Orthotics,Young Entrepreneur of the Year

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PHOTO COURTESY OF NORTHERN PROSTHETICS & ORTHOTICS

Cory LaPlante at work in his fabrication shop, where he makes his clients’ custom prosthetics.

See LAPLANTE, page 9

“I couldn’t fail. I’d worked too hard, come too far, and faced too many challenges.”

CORY LAPLANTE

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The SBA has named Dennis Lajoie, CEO of

Community Concepts Finance Corporation,

its Financial Services Champion.

“I feel proud,” Lajoie said of the award. “I

had 20 years experience in affordable hous-

ing, and basically I had to reinvent myself

with learning business lending, which is

obviously a lot different... I feel so proud that

I could keep my mind open enough to try

something different — and having the op-

portunity within the same organization.”

Lajoie handled housing lending through

Community Concepts, a social-service

program in Lewiston, as Director of Hous-

ing Development for many years, with a bit

of small-business lending. But when a local

business lender closed its doors about 10

years ago, Community Concepts formed the

independent Community Concepts Finance

Corporation, which focused on identifying

funding sources and securing its own fund-

ing money. CCFC took over that program’s

outstanding loans and available loan cash.

“Then we really became both a housing

lender and a business lender at about an

equal footing, and then grew the business

loans with more products,” Lajoie said.

From managing a handful of loans six or

seven years ago, CCFC has grown steadily,

and now manages between 50 and 60 active

loans. CCFC generally does seed money,

helping people launch successful businesses

that can attain future bank fi nancing on their

own merits.

“One of our goals is to get people to a

point where they don’t need us,” Lajoie said.

Most of CCFC’s clients are seeking to start or

expand small businesses. For those that aren’t

ready — perhaps they haven’t done a proper

business plan — Lajoie refers them to such

places as the Oxford Hills SCORE. For those

that are ready, if the plan makes sense and the

numbers work, CCFC can usually help.

“Ninety-nine times out of a hundred, we

can fi nd [a way] to fund it,” he said. “The key

is always: How are you going to pay us back?”

That’s where a solid business plan becomes

very important, he says.

Loans can be anything from a few hundred

dollars for a startup lawn-care company that

needs a mower to partnering as a subordinate

lender with major lenders for multimillion-

dollar projects.

“We have that fl exibility in there, and we

have enough contacts where we can do that

as well,” Lajoie said.

Most of Lajoie’s work is fi nding available

funding, but thanks to the SBA, CCFC has

money of its own to lend. Basically, the SBA

loaned CCFC a bulk of money with payback

terms; Lajoie then re-lends that money,

and repays SBA through client repayments.

CCFC’s loan committee relies on Lajoie’s

reports and recommendations about whether

to lend money, and they usually follow his

lead. Lajoie is working to “fast track” the pro-

cess for those who have their ducks in a row.

“People, if they have a dream, they want to

move on it,” Lajoie said. “Our goal is to make

their dream a reality but be realistic about

‘Can it work?’”

Lajoie, who oversees a staff of six, had

adapted his years of housing lending to this

job. In many ways, it’s a similar fi eld, even if

the rules and regulations with variuos lenders

are different.

“I think that’s the strength I bring to the

lending arm from my background in working

for the agency in other fi elds,” Lajoie said.

Steve Veazey of the Oxford Hills SCORE

nominated Lajoie for the award.

“Dennis Lajoie has been a tireless advocate

for business lending, for ensuring that borrow-

ers are provided technical assistance, and for

fulfi lling an economic and social service need,

when making loans in Western Maine,” Veazey

said in an email to the Bangor Daily News.

“His long career at Community Concepts Fi-

nance Corporation demonstrates his commit-

ment to helping businesses and economically

disadvantaged individuals succeed.”

To back that commitment, Lajoie says

CCFC has money to lend to businesses in

Androscoggin, Franklin, and Oxford coun-

ties, and the award will help raise awareness.

“Partly what we’re always looking at is,

how do we market ourselves? How do people

know who we are out there?” he said. “I think

this award helps us raise our level of credibil-

ity... and that we do have resources to lend.”

Learn more at Community-Concepts.org.

Dennis Lajoie of Community Concepts Finance Corporation,Financial Services Champion

“People, if they have a dream, they want to move on it. Our goal is to make their dream a reality.”

DENNIS LAJOIE

6 A SALUTE TO MAINE’S SMALL BUSINESS • Friday, May 31, 2013 A SALUTE TO MAINE’S SMALL BUSINESS

From your friends at

Congratulations!• 2013 •

Small Business Administration Award Winners

Your diligent work and industry leadership is appreciated in the community. Thank you for all you do.

For Kurt and Kathy Cressey, the careful

development of their business has necessi-

tated thinking outside the box — or, as they’d

say, thinking outside the basket. Their efforts

have resulted in earning them the SBA’s

Micro-Enterprise of the Year Award.

“We’re thrilled to death,” Kurt said. “It’s an

honor.”

The Cresseys both worked at DeLorme

Mapping Company for 10 years, but when

their daughter came along in 1995, they de-

cided they wanted a business where she could

get off the bus every day and fi nd her parents

waiting for her. They decided to run a little

general store, and found one in the Pine

Tree Store in Grand Lake Stream, a seasonal

crossroads for hunters, fi shermen, campers,

and snowmobilers.

The store closed every October after

fi shing season and reopened in January for

the snowmobilers, so they soon decided

they needed something to supplement their

income and keep them busy. About that time,

someone offered to sell a small business to

them — making pack baskets. The idea just

seemed right, so they bought the business,

but they had no idea what they were doing.

“[The business] didn’t come with a lot

of instructions,” Kathy said. “And we didn’t

know. I mean, how hard is it to weave a bas-

ket? Well, it is hard.”

“We slowly ran [the business] down in the

process of learning how to make baskets, and

then slowly but gradually built it up,” Kurt

Pack baskets have long been used as carry-

alls, from the Native Americans to modern-

day fi shermen. The Cresseys hand-make their

baskets from strips of maple veneer that are

fi rst soaked in water and then tightly woven.

After drying, the slats are tamped down even

tighter, top strips are riveted on, and web

straps are added.

During the store’s seasonal shutdown, the

Cresseys transformed it into a basket factory:

soaking wood in the basement, assembling

baskets in the store, and drying them in

the converted walk-in cooler. But in three

months, they had to quickly convert the store

again to handle the snowmobiling crowd.

“It was creative, but ineffi cient,” said Kathy.

“It was exhausting,” added Kurt.

They couldn’t make baskets fast enough.

With their daughter about the enter high

school, the Cresseys knew it was time to go

to the next level. She wanted to attend John

Bapst Memorial High School in Bangor, so

they bought a house in nearby Orrington.

Then they found ample rental space at the

Dysart’s station on Route 15 in Orrington,

less than three miles from home. A loan from

Bangor Savings Bank enabled them to reno-

vate the space, construct a drying room, and

purchase $25,000 in wood — a huge order

that saved them lots of money and provided

them with a major supply.

Until recently, almost all of their business

has been wholesale, with Maine-based retailers

such as Indian Hill Trading Post, Willey’s, and

L.L. Bean. Now they’re looking for online retail

sales; they’ve established a Web site and have

hired a marketing agency to help them grow.

“We’ve got pretty good coverage in the

state, especially from Waterville up,” said

Kathy. “We want to work southern Maine,

eventually, and we want to get into other

states and other parts of the country.”

With their days entirely dedicated to mak-

ing baskets, they’re on a roll. They’re building

an inventory — something they’d never been

able to do — and are learning new ways to do

business.

“Things are kind of falling in place now,”

Kathy said. “It’s really exciting. We’ve always

known we have a nice product. It’s just now

having the time and the resources and some

recognition that it’s all kind of now pointing

in the same direction.”

They’re excited about the SBA award, but

Kurt says they aren’t seeking recognition;

they’re just trying to make a living doing

something they enjoy.

“If you can wake up in the morning and

you’re kind of revved up to get to work and

you’re anxious either about a new idea or to

fi nish off an order or make a delivery — the

juice is there,” he said. “When you wake up in

the morning and you go, ‘I really don’t want

to go’ — fi nd something else to do. Life’s too

short.”

Learn more at PackBasketsOfMaine.com.

Kurt & Kathy Cressey and Pack Baskets of Maine,Micro-Enterprise of the Year

BANGOR DAILY NEWS PHOTO BY DAVID M. FITZPATRICK

Kurt an Kathy Cressey pose with their line of pack baskets in their Orrington production facility.

People’s United Bank congratulates Small Business Exporter of the Year

Allagash International!VISIT OUR LOCAL OFFICES. 207-828-3067

A valve distributor and manufacturer has

been making waves in the international com-

munity, and its success has earned it the SBA’s

Small Business Exporter of the Year in Maine.

“I’m proud, and think it’s not my award —

it’s my employees’ award,” said Terry Ingram,

president and CEO of Allagash International

in South Portland. “They’re the backbone of

the company.”

The company’s story began when Ingram

spent over four years in Navy nuclear subs

as a machinist’s mate. He understood valves,

and after leaving the military he went into

that business, and moved to Maine 23 years

ago as VP of sales for a valve distributor. After

working at various valve companies in dif-

ferent capacities, in 2002 he started his own

distributorship: Allagash Valve and Controls

in Falmouth and Millinocket. It was just him

and his spouse, working in 600 square feet.

He expanded until he had a few employees,

but when the mill in Millinocket fi red back

up, he lost those workers, so he relocated to

Yarmouth.

The metamorphosis began 9 years ago,

when Ingram bid on a pair of 60-inch-

diameter valves in Colombia. He landed

the $500,000 job, and it opened his eyes to

business in Latin America and abroad. He

landed deals in Peru, Chile, and Venezuela

over the next few years, and focused on ex-

panding into manufacturing. In early 2010,

he acquired DeZurik’s Globe Control Valve

Division and created Nor’East Controls, a

division of Allagash International.

“From that global presence of having

agents around the world, [customers] saw the

value in the workmanship that came out of

Allagash International,” said Ingram. “Now

they come to us for larger projects.”

The company partners closely with its cus-

tomers, treating them as a distributor would,

not as a manufacturer would. The result has

been incredible growth — from about $1.2

million in revenue three years ago to about

$4.5 million already in 2013. There are 24

people working in South Portland with about

10 others worldwide.

Ingram’s company is right where he

planned, but years sooner than he’d expected,

thanks in part to SBA loan guaranty fi nanc-

ing. Its employee roster should double in the

next few years, and Ingram expects to be a

$20 million company by 2015.

The company might be the only control-

valve manufacturer that makes 100 percent

of its product in the U.S., from raw castings

through machining, assembling, testing,

and shipping. It’s something Ingram takes

seriously: After buying DeZurik and mov-

ing everything from Minnesota and Texas to

Maine, the fi rst thing he did was cancel all

overseas orders and reorder in the United

States.

“At the end of the day, the U.S.’s products

are still gold in the world,” said Ingram.

“People want to buy U.S.-manufactured

products.”

And he’s happy to do it in Maine.

“Maine is second to none for work ethic,”

said Ingram. “Nothing goes out of our

plant without pride and attention to detail,

whereas other companies in other areas of

the U.S. may not have that sense of urgency

or that criticality. Our people do.”

Gene Wendland, executive vice president

and CFO, who nominated the company for

the award, agrees.

“I think that there’s a story to be told that

industrial manufacturing in Maine is still

alive and that we can still manufacture and

export here,” said Wendland.

The company’s success has also added local

economic support. This year, it will bring

about $3 million in support to local vendors

and manufacturers for everything from parts

supply to machine-shop work. And Allagash

International has caught the eyes of competi-

tors, who keep trying to buy it. The company

is absolutely not for sale, Ingram says, but he

can understand everyone’s interest.

“We’re doing what other companies have

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Terry Ingram and Allagash International,Small Business Exporter of the Year

BANGOR DAILY NEWS PHOTO BY DAVID M.

FITZPATRICK

Terry Ingram. presi-

dent and CEO of Al-

lagash International,

in his offi ce in South

Portland. Ingram

built the business up

from a two-person

valve distributor-

ship to become a

valve distributor and

manufacturer with

a wide variety of

customers around

the world.

See ALLAGASH, page 12

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Serving York County.

The Economic Development Corporation is an Equal Opportunity

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190 Main Street, Saco, ME

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www.bsaedc.org

The Lakeview Restaurant in St. Agatha

is celebrating its 30th anniversary as its

founding family has won the Jeffrey Butland

Family-Owned Business Award for both

Maine and New England.

“It’s an honor,” said Jenn Derosier Daigle,

daughter of founders Dick and Carol Der-

osier. “It’s a bittersweet thing right now, just

losing my mom. I wish she could have been

here with us.”

Dick and Carol Derosier started the

restaurant July 1, 1983, serving burgers and

hot dogs. Dick, who had done some cooking

in the military, was a farmer, and Carol was a

hairdresser. They kept doing their other jobs

for a while, but the restaurant soon demand-

ed their full attention.

Over the years it expanded, eventually tak-

ing over the two-car garage; the menu grew

along with the space. In 1995, the Derosiers

added adjacent campsites. Meanwhile, events

such as the annual motorcycle party drew

visitors from all over.

At age 2 when the restaurant opened, Jenn

grew up in the business: pouring water as

a little girl, doing dishes, cooking, making

salads and desserts, and bussing tables, and

later waitressing and bartending. She left to

go to school for hospitality management, and

soon knew she wanted to eventually take over

the family business.

She returned to St. Agatha and worked

with her parents for more than 8 years before

her father got sick: He had cancer, and had to

go to Boston for treatments. With a 2-year-

old and a newborn, and her husband Jason

off to work 14 hours a day, she was mostly

on her own as her dad’s illness worsened. But

Jenn persevered.

“I learned from the best,” she said. “You

can go to school and learn all you want, but

being with them in the business, day to day, is

the best training that you can get.”

Her father passed away in February 2012,

but her mother was ill, too, also stricken with

cancer. Jenn and Jason bought the business in

May 2012, and this year received word of the

family winning the SBA award. It came just

in time.

“I was able to tell my mom,” Jenn said. “It

was a few days before she passed.”

On July 28, the Daigles will hold a 30th-

anniversary celebration — probably with a

pig roast (which Dick and Carol used to do

frequently), entertainment for adults, and

activities for kids. The Daigles are also work-

ing on a fundraiser for next year to benefi t the

Edgar J. Paradis Cancer Fund and Angel Flight.

“There are so many people up here in the

area affected by cancer who need help,” Jenn

The restaurant’s staff ranges from 40 to

50, with a few who have been there since the

beginning or close to it. Many workers start

in high school and work through college on

summer breaks. The staff is more than just

a roster of employees; they’re part of the

family.

“We have a super crew here,” said Jenn.

“And everybody pulls together and… does

what they need to do to help out and fi ll in.”

Last year, Jason quit his job as a welder and

pipefi tter to go full time at the restaurant.

And as the kids get older, Jenn says they’ll

learn about the honor of growing up in a

family business, and the joy of serving loyal

customers from near and far.

“It’s not the numbers that come through

the door; it’s the people that you get to meet

and to know from all over the United States

Derosier Family and Lakeview Restaurant, Jeffrey Butland Family-Owned Business Award for Maine and New England

PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE DAIGLE FAMILY

Top: The Lakeview Restaurant in St. Agatha. The

restaurant is on a hill overlooking Long Lake, a

6,000-acre, 12-mile-long lake. Above: Jason and

Jenn Daigle with their children Kelsie (left) and

Kamden. Like Jenn when she was little, the kids

already help out in the family business.

See DEROSIERS, next page

PHOTO BY SHA~LAM PHOTOGRAPHY

Prosthetist Cory LaPlante (right), winner of the Young Entrepreneur of the Year award, who is an above-knee

amputee, walks down the hallway of his offi ce with one of his clients.

1-800-228-3734 www.FAMEmaine.com

Helping Maine Businesses Since 198330 Years OF HELP ING MA INE

PEOPLE SUCCEED

Congratulations2013 SBA

Award Winners

do something socially- and civic-minded,”

Qualey said. “There are so many dogs out

there, why would you buy one?”

The Qualeys are ardent supporters of

local animal rescues, including the Bangor

Humane Society. Several kennels at BHS

are sponsored by Qualey Granite & Quartz.

That work comes at the hands of Laurie, he

“[But] we’ve taken it a step further,” he said.

“Cambria Quartz is our premier product line

and we’ve co-branded it with BHS. If a client

purchases Cambria, they get a Rescue Pets

Rock! mug and a bumper sticker and a dona-

tion is made to BHS. It’s a way for us to give

back to the community and get our brand’s

name out there to tie the two together.”

That co-branding helps to enhance the

company’s image, he said. They are one of

nine fabricators for Cambria in New England.

Silestone is another major product that his

business fabricates.

But a great product line isn’t enough to

stand on, he noted. You have to offer clients

something completely different to stay com-

petitive. That’s where the robots and digital

imaging come in.

Qualey Granite & Quartz uses technology

that enables them to show a customer exactly

what their backsplash, counter, or other

project will look like in the granite, marble,

soapstone, or quartz of their choice.

“Our templates are digital now,” he said.

“Our programmers convert the design to a

CAD fi le and the customer approves that.

That’s important, especially with quartz.

We still have plenty of skilled workers doing

hand polishing but our waterjet and CNC

machines take our production to the next

level.”

To see how this works, visit the Qualey

Granite & Quartz Facebook page and click on

videos.

“There’s no doubt, without the SBA this

wouldn’t have happened or terms wouldn’t

have been as good,” Qualey said.

Looking ahead to the future, Qualey said

he’s looking forward to opening another

location in Portland later this year.

“We are just going to continue growing,

creating new markets, and offering better

service to our clients,” he said. “We found

that it was not that hard to get bigger, but it’s

really hard to get better. We have spent the

last year laying the groundwork to put good

systems in place, with a focus on training and

consistency.”

Learn more online at QualeyGranite.com.

QUALEY from page 2

said. “I don’t think there’s any

better feeling in the world.”

At 34, LaPlante has been

named the SBA’s Young Entre-

preneur of the Year.

“It’s always an honor when

somebody recognizes your hard

work and your devotion,” he

said. “I really feel like it’s a testa-

ment to my whole staff here and

everybody that works here.”

LaPlante says that the secret

to success is to engage in some-

thing you’re passionate about

and get ready to sacrifi ce your

life to it.

“You’ve got to be willing to

work ridiculously hard for no

gratifi cation,” he said. “If you’re

willing to do that, you’ll make it.

Nobody can stop you.”

You can learn more online at NorthernProsthetics.com.

LAPLANTE from page 4

and, actually, all over the world,” she said.

“You make friendships with them and you

look forward to seeing their faces come back.”

She knows people take the business seri-

ously. After her father passed, many people

didn’t come for a while because they thought

the restaurant had been sold outside the

family. The loyalty is special to Jenn, as is the

SBA award.

“I wish my mom and dad could be here,”

she said. “I know they’re going to be watching

over us. They worked so hard their whole life,

and we have big shoes to fi ll.”

Learn more at LakeviewRestaurant.biz.

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE DAIGLE FAMILY

Jenn Derosier Daigle (center) with her parents,

Carol and Dick Derosier. The Derosiers founded the

Lakeview Restaurant in St. Agatha in 1983.

DEROSIERS from previous page

800-860-8821 | CamdenNational.com | Member FDIC

Congratulations to

Alfred Lebel, CEO Maine Heritage Weavers

2013 Veteran-Owned Small Business of the Year

From Your Proud Business Partner

Fred Lebel and Maine Heritage Weavers,Veteran-Owned Small Business of the YearBY DAVID M. FITZPATRICKBANGOR DAILY NEWS

Fred Lebel has won the Veteran-Owned

Small Business of the Year for his 11-year-old

venture, Maine Heritage Weavers. As it turns

out, just about everyone except Lebel knew

the award was in the works, from the nomi-

nators to Lebel’s daughter, Linda Cloutier, the

company’s president. Lebel was wondering

why his daughter was asking so many ques-

tions about his military service.

“He told me the other day, ‘I thought she

was getting my obituary ready,’” said consul-

tant John Turner, one of the nominators.

“I’m pleased,” said Lebel. “I’m honored by

it, and I’m sure there are so many other well-

qualifi ed people for this award.”

But he’s quite modest about it, saying that

the real award-winners are his employees. “I

couldn’t have done it without them,” he said.

“They’re the ones who stayed with us to keep

this company going and growing.”

The company’s history goes back much

further than its 11 years. Around 1850, Bates

opened its fi rst mill in Lewiston. A century

later, it was the largest textile manufacturer

in Maine, employing

about 6,000 people.

But in the 1950s, the

mills began closing

until just one was left;

when Bates’ parent

company closed that

in 2002, there were just 80 employees.

Lebel was stunned at the idea that these

multigeneration employees would be out of

jobs, and the heirloom matelassé and candle-

wick bedspreads, for which the company was

famous, would be gone forever.

“All these people that had all this experi-

ence — they’re craftspeople,” Lebel said.

“This is not something you just get off the

street.”

Lebel had a long history with Bates. Shortly

after joining the Army in 1951, he aggravated

an old football knee injury. One doctor said

Lebel needed an operation; another advised

against the tricky surgery, warning that he

could have bad side effects. He opted against

it and was medically discharged. (The knee

never gave him problems.)

Bates hired him in 1961, and by the time

the mill was closing in 2002, he was its

president. With the company shipping its

equipment to Minnesota, Lebel knew he had

to salvage the skilled craftspeople and the

heirloom bedspreads — at a time when he

was considering retirement.

“I was young,” he said. “I was only 71.”

Lebel scoured the world to fi nd the looms

and other equipment, and assembled every-

thing in a three-story former Bates building

in Lewiston. The business manufactured

and grew for years in very cramped quarters.

When Lebel had to shore up the fl oors and

slow the machines down to keep the building

from coming apart,

he knew he had to

relocate.

The solution: an

empty, 65,000-square-

foot factory in Mon-

mouth. It was perfect,

with a mezzanine suitable for accessing the

loom heads, loading docks, and everything

on a concrete slab. Camden National Bank

loaned half the money, the SBA provided

40 percent in a 504 loan, and Lebel put up

everything he owned to cover the rest. Now,

Maine Heritage Weavers is on track for steady

growth, with plenty of inside space and 25

acres of land ready if needed.

“Now that we’re up here, we can do more,”

said Lebel.

Lebel has handed the reins over to Clouti-

er, who began working at Bates in 1977 with

her father and now serves as the company’s

president.

With the long-loved product remaining a

hit with the company’s customers through

its 40-50 catalog houses, Maine Heritage

Weavers is working to secure the rights to

the Bates name. The matelassés — with

styles such as the George Washington (cre-

ated in 1940), the Queen Elizabeth (cre-

ated in 1953 for her coronation), and the

Abigail Adams (a big seller created in 1994)

— are rugged and beautiful. MHW is the

only company making such matelassés and

candlewick products in the United States.

BANGOR DAILY NEWS PHOTO BY DAVID M. FITZPATRICK

Fred Lebel (center), owner of Maine Heritage Weavers, and his daughter, company president Linda Cloutier,

stand with John Turner, a co-nominator of the SBA’s Veteran-Owned Small Business of the Year award,

which Lebel won. The trio pose with one of the company’s signature matelasse heirloom bedspreads. Lebel

started MHW in 2002 when the company he worked for, in business since the 1850s, closed. He wanted to

continue the manufacturing of these rare textiles in Maine, and keep the skilled craftspeople employed.

“I was young. I was only 71.”

FRED LEBEL ON STARTINGMAINE HERITAGE WEAVERS IN 2002

INSTEAD OF RETIRING

See LEBEL, page 12

NANCY O’BRIEN – OWNER OF FIOREAND ALL

2013 SBA AWARD WINNERS

Visit us on the web at www.bhbt.com or call us at 1-888-853-7100.

Still local, Still listening, Still lending, Statewide.

C O N G R A T U L A T I O N S

Nancy O’Brien and FIORE,Woman-Owned Small Business of the YearBY DEBRA BELLBANGOR DAILY NEWS

Visit Nancy O’Brien’s FIORE Artisan Olive

Oils & Vinegars storefront in Rockland and

you’ll quickly learn that there’s more to olive

oil than fi lls a bottle.

And the business, which opened in 2009, is

designed to welcome in people to learn about

the difference that a great olive oil or vinegar

can make.

Combine that with their receipt of the

2013 Women-Owned Small Business Award

from Maine’s Small Business Administration

and it’s a recipe for success that’s growing

each year.

It’s a success grown from the roots of hard

work. O’Brien and her husband Pat worked

in Connecticut for a major beer, wine, and

spirits company prior to opening FIORE.

She handled organizing the art and design of

packaging while Pat handled the printing end

of the business. They had a summer home in

Bass Harbor.

“We used to say we would come up here

for holidays and long weekends,” she said.

“Then it got to a point where we were [in

Maine more than Connecticut]. But we had

jobs that needed to be taken care of.”

Then a friend introduced the couple to a

family that imports olive oil. And an idea for

a Maine-based gourmet store was born.

“We thought, wouldn’t it be neat to share

their oil with others,” O’Brien said. “We love

to cook, but didn’t have any formal knowl-

edge or education.”

That all changed when a former beauty

salon space became available in Bar Har-

bor. The couple viewed it over Memorial

Day weekend in 2009 and said yes to a new

endeavor.

That’s when the research

started. They already knew the

product, she noted. After learn-

ing from groups like SCORE

to develop a business plan and

identify what she would need

to open FIORE, she turned to

securing funding.

To secure that funding,

Nancy worked with Chris

Young, Bar Harbor Bank and

Trust’s Regional Vice Presi-

dent for the Ellsworth branch,

to secure a Small Business

Administration 50 percent

guaranteed loan.

“He’s a great banker and a

wonderful guy,” she said. “I

BANGOR DAILY NEWS PHOTO BY DEBRA BELL

Above: Nancy and Pat O’Brien pause while offering customers samples of olive oils at their Rockland store.

Left: In addition to bottling fresh olive oil or vinegar straight from stainless steel vessels, FIORE also can

package oil and vinegars for special events or for restaurants. These are just some of the styles of gift

packaging FIORE offers.

See FIORE PAGE 12

always have him on my shoulder. He’s been

very instrumental in many of the choices I’ve

made. I gave him my business plan and told

him what my intentions were.”

Together they were able to secure the 50

percent guaranteed commercial SBA loan.

“FIORE is a unique business and one that

I was unfamiliar with before Nancy pro-

posed this business concept,” Young said. “If

there’s one thing I can say about my relation-

ship with FIORE, they had a product they

believed in and executed their business plan

so well. I like food and they had done so

much research on the product and how to

introduce it to a marketplace that they had

me at hello.”

Once the loan was secured, it was action

“Five weeks later we were in business,”

O’Brien said. “And we haven’t looked back.”

What FIORE offers its consumers is a

product that is fresh, thereby promoting the

health benefi ts of olive oil and balsamic. And

this isn’t your store bought olive oil.

“The tragedy of it all is that the consumer

doesn’t know what good extra virgin olive

oil is,” said Nancy’s husband Pat. “There are

movements to change the labeling, but 99

percent of what is on the grocery store shelf

is already rancid. They don’t show the chem-

istry, they’re in clear glass, and the air and

light are damaging it. [In essence] it’s dead

within weeks. You want to taste good fresh oil

and bottle it immediately. Our oil is bottled

in UV inhibiting glass and won’t be affected

by the light.”

In fact, a visit to a FIORE location — Bar

Harbor, Rockland, and a location inside of

Bangor Wine and Cheese in Bangor — will

welcome your senses to high quality olive oils

and vinegars. Oil and Balsamic Vinegar are

stored in stainless steel containers and once

sampled and chosen are bottled the same day

to protect the nutrients.

That attention to detail and customer

service are part of what sets FIORE apart and

has customers coming back online and in

person. It’s also what has enticed restaurants

throughout Maine to use their products.

“When I found out [FIORE had won this

award] I said ‘pinch me,’” she said. “This is a

huge honor. There are a lot of women-owned

businesses in the state of Maine and to have

been chosen for this award is amazing. To

think about the support of my bank, my

customers, and my employees, all of that

together is amazing. It’s not an award for me,

it’s an award for all of us. I’m the luckiest

person in the world.”

Learn more about FIORE by visiting its Web site at FioreOliveOils.com.

FIORE FROM PAGE 11

And its glass ceiling? Maine retailer L.L.

Bean, which Lebel says carries imported

matelassés but so far has not opted to carry

Maine Heritage Weavers’ products. (L.L. Bean

declined to comment for this story.)

Currently, the company employs 19 people,

but it’s ready for more growth. Lebel is just

happy to keep producing his quality prod-

ucts, and to keep everyone working.

“To be able to retain those craftspeople —

the designer, the loom technician, the weaver,

and all — we couldn’t have done it [without

them],” he said.

To learn more, visit the company online at MaineHeritageWeavers.com.

LEBEL FROM PAGE 12

BANGOR DAILY NEWS PHOTOS BY DAVID M. FITZPATRICK

Left: Rene Cote of Maine Heritage Weavers winds yarn onto a cylinder called a warp. This is the fi rst step before the warp then feeds into a loom. Right: Hundreds

of spools of yarn feed through the framework as they’re wound about the warp in the left-side photo.

not been able to do: We’ve grown every single year since what people call

the ‘Great Depression,’ and our competitors have been stagnant or have

gone backwards,” Ingram said. “And they don’t understand how we do it.

It’s because ‘no’ isn’t in our vocabulary.”

Plus, Ingram is having too much fun to sell.

“I tell my friends that I have the best job,” he said. “I do a job that I love

to do, and by default I make money at it.”

To learn more, visitAllagashInternational.com or watch its “There Are No Borders” video on YouTube (search for “Allagash International”).

ALLAGASH from page 7

BANGOR DAILY NEWS PHOTOS BY DAVID M. FITZPATRICK

Far left: Workers mount a control unit on a valve during an assembly run of a big job.

The company employs about 24 people at its South Portland location, plus about

10 more internationally. Left: A sample valve, cut away to show its interior. This and

several others are on display in the Allagash International lobby in South Portland.

A Salute to Maine's Small Business

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