A Salute to Maine Small Business

2 SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION • Bangor Daily News Special Advertising Section • JUNE 6, 2014 SMALL BUSINESS ADMIISTRATION • Bangor Daily News Special Advertising Section • JUNE 6, 2014 3

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SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION 2014 is published by the Bangor Daily [email protected] 207.990.8105

We believe in small business and the owners who put passion and priority into crafting their dream. We applaud the many men, women, minorities, and veterans in our region who work to make their businesses and our communities better each and every day.

At Katahdin Trust you’ll find banking professionals ready and willing to help you achieve success; whether you’re just starting out or ready to expand.

Contact Katahdin Trust and discover Community Banking at its Best!

SBA Preferred Lender

To find one of our 19 locations:

www.KatahdinTrust.com1-800-221-2542

Proud To Support The Dream

Also Awarded this Year— Josh Davis and Bruno Tropeano, owners of The Gelato

Fiasco, were named Young Entrepreneurs of the Year. Assigned to Dale McGarrigle

— Cyndi Price, owner of Loo-Hoo LLC, was named Home-Based Business Champion. Assigned to Debra Bell

— Deblois Electric was named Jeffrey Butland Family Owned Small Business of the Year. Assigned to Sheila Grant

— G-Force Laser Tag, owned by Brian and Kimberly Plavnick, received the Maine Micro-Enterprise Award. Assigned to Sheila Grant

— Peter McVety, owner of Mcvety’s Hearth and Home, received the Veteran Small Business Owner of the Year Award. Assigned to Wanda Curtis

— Amy Bouchard, owner of Isamax Snacks Inc., received Woman Small Business Owner of the Year Award.

Assigned to Wanda Curtis

— Terry Trickey, Bangor Savings Bank, will receive the Financial Services Champion Award. Assigned to Sheila Grant

Maine award winners will be celebrated at the Hilton Garden Inn in Portland on June 17.

Coffee By Design We congratulate the owners of Coffee By Design, Mary Allen Lindemann and Alan Spear – named 2014 Small Business Persons of the Year for Maine by the U.S. Small Business Administration. Androscoggin Bank partnered with Granite State Development Corporation’s SBA 504 Loan Program to �nance Coffee ByDesign’s new retail andmanufacturing facility located at 1Diamond Street, Portland,Maine. Androscoggin Bank andGranite State Development Corporation, leading the way with SBA 504 lending.

Paul Collins, Lead Commercial Lender for Androscoggin–Southern Maine • 207.518.6310 • [email protected] • androscogginbank.com

Jim Maxwell, 504 State Director–Granite State Development Corporation • 207.646.5988 • jmaxwell@maine�nancial.com • granitestatedev.com

Androscoggin Bank – Maine’s #1 Bank in volume and dollars for SBA 504 Lending YTD

Congratulations


From your friends at

©2014 Machias Savings Bank. Member FDIC.

Congratulations!• 2014 •

Small Business Administration Award Winners

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

When Amy Bouchard started a whoopie

pie business out of her Gardiner home 20

years ago, she never dreamed she’d become a

nationally-recognized celebrity.

In recent years, Bouchard has appeared

on the Oprah Winfrey show, the Boston

Phantom’s Gourmet Show, and Maine’s “207”

news magazine show. And now the president

and founder of Isamax Snacks Inc. is selling

Wicked Whoopie Pies on the Home Shopping

Network.

“I started my business from my home

20 years ago as a stay-at-home mom with

no business experience, just a passion for

baking,” she said. “I created whoopie pie

flavors that were not available in the market

20 years ago ... like strawberry, lemon, orange,

chocolate chip, coconut, raspberry, to name a

few, with a goal to make as many people happy

with my whoopie pies as possible.”

Bouchard explained that she calls her

products “Wicked Whoopie Pies” because all

of her friends described her whoopie pies as

“wicked.”

“In Maine, when something’s good, we call

it ‘good.’ When something’s great, we call it

‘wicked.’”

She named her business “Isamax” after her

two children, Isabella and Maxx.

Bouchard describes the slow start of her

now mushrooming business on her website

wickedwhoopiepies.com.

“At the sluggish pace of one dozen whoopie

pies per hour, initial production was slow

going. In one week alone, I burned out the

motors of four mixers. I had no business

experience, but I was determined. My goal

was-and still is-to share my Wicked Whoopies

with everyone in America.”

Bouchard goes on to explain how she

marketed her business which eventually

began to grow.

“Four times a week, with baby Isabella

under my arm and a basket of Whoopies in the

other, I set off to make deliveries. Customers

knew my schedule and often met me at the

door, eagerly awaiting a freshly baked Wicked

Whoopie Pie. Watching people respond to the

first bite is awesome. Making people smile is

still the most rewarding aspect of the business.

I like to say there are at least 10 smiles in

each Wicked Whoopie Pie. Within a couple of

years, stacks of baking sheets were as tall as

my 10-year-old son, Maxx. Tables and ovens

lined all sides of the kitchen. Our dining room

had become shipping and receiving central,

jammed with boxes, bags, and packing slips.

Our den housed sacks of flour, sugar and

cocoa. It was a whoopie explosion! I decided it

was time to move out of the home and into a

commercial bakery.”

Today, Bouchard’s involved in wholesale,

Internet, and retail business selling her

Wicked Whoopie Pies at three Maine locations

— a commercial bakery located in Gardiner,

and two retail bake shops located on Maine

Street in Farmingdale and Main Street in

Freeport.

Her husband David left his fulltime job to

oversee the customer service and shipping

departments at Isamax. Their son Maxx works

in the production department, while Isabella

helps out in the retail stores where they sell 20

different varieties of Wicked Whoopie Pies.

They sell, among others, classic, peanut

butter, chocolate chip, maple, pumpkin, red

velvet, lemon, strawberry, chocolate lovers,

orange, vanilla bean, and coconut.

Bouchard is this year’s recipient of the

Woman Business Owner of the Year award.

She was nominated for the award by Lorraine

Boston.

“She’s been in business 20 years. She’s

a successful business woman, she’s grown

her business, she’s increased the number

of her employees, and she’s done a good job

marketing a Maine product,” Boston said.

“My first SBA loan allowed me to expand

…To be recognized by the SBA as a female-

owned company means so much to me

considering the odds were against me,”

Bouchard said. “I was 26 years old when I

started this business, uneducated, and a stay-

at-home mom with no experience in business.

I am so proud to work with hard working

employees. They are the reason this business

is growing.”

Camden entrepreneur Cyndi Prince is

helping save the world, one dryer at a time.

And the Maine Small Business

Administration has taken notice. It will

present her with the 2014 Maine SBA Home-

based Business Champion Award at the

annual dinner on June 17 in Portland.

Prince’s company, LooHoo Wool Dryer

Balls, was born as she prepared for the birth

of her son, Graham. She wanted a healthy

home for her son that was free of non-toxic

products and that would support their

decision to use cloth diapers.

According to Prince, dryer sheets contain

harmful chemicals and actually make clothes

less absorbent – including cloth diapers. That

wouldn’t do for the soon-to-be mom.

“I began looking for alternatives to dryer

sheets, especially since I didn’t want ‘crunchy

clothes’,” she said.

That eco-friendly, softening alternative

turned out to be made from wool. She found

wool dryer balls online and decided to order

some. And that’s when she fell in love with

them.

Prince said that the wool dryer balls are

not only all natural and sustainable, but

actually reduce dry time and soften clothes

without the use of chemicals and fragrances.

Likewise, compared with rubber or plastic

dryer balls, which Prince said are loud and

leak gasses and chemicals into the dryer over

time, wool balls are quiet and biodegradable.

The only problem with the wool dryer balls

she purchased was that they didn’t last long

before starting to unravel. She believed there

had to be a better way so she put her crafty

mind to work and tried making them herself.

It took some time to find the right method and

once she had, a product was born.

LooHoo’s quirky name comes from Prince’s

own childhood nickname: Cindy LooHoo

based on the Dr. Seuss character from “The

Grinch That Stole Christmas.” Suggested by

her sister, LooHoo was also fun to say, Prince

noted. “How can it not be with all those ‘o’s?”

Prince is an entrepreneur at heart and

in 2009 she made a commitment to hone her

business acumen. That’s when she took the

New Ventures Business Entrepreneurship

Training through Women, Work and

Community’s Rockland office. New Ventures

walks its participants through creating a

business plan, looking at all the components

of business and preparing them for the

challenges ahead. Her instructor was Gigi

Guyton.

But LooHoo wasn’t the business she went

through New Ventures with: At least not

initially. However, the training prepared

her for entering the market with her LooHoo

products and set her up for success.

“I have so much respect for Gigi,” Prince

said. “Since the course, we’ve stayed in

contact as I moved forward. We’d email once

or twice a month and she’d invite me to

things that were coming up. She was always

there for me. You need to have a strong voice

as an entrepreneur.”

Guyton said the reason she nominated

Prince was a stellar example of what New

Ventures is all about.

“Cyndi took our New Ventures class

in 2009 with a completely different

business idea,” Guyton said.

“That idea didn’t launch, but

when Cyndi later realized she

might have a more marketable

product with the wool dryer

balls, she told me she picked

up the New Ventures notebook

and wrote a completely new

business plan.

“She’s a true entrepreneur in that she

took her thinking-outside-the-box idea and

went back to the business planning drawing

board to map out her success. She then used

all of her available resources in Maine to

follow her plan.”

Prince grew up on a farm in North

Buxton and understands the value in the

farming industry, one reason why each

LooHoo wool ball is made from U.S. wool

and manufactured by another home-based

business, Pieceworks Inc. in Montville.

Pieceworks produces roughly 700 balls each

week.

LooHoo dryer balls are found in over 200

retail stores throughout the United States and

Canada as well as online at loo-hoo.com

And since the balls are all natural, it’s only

natural that pets love the products. To keep

pets from taking off with the balls, LooHoo

has introduced a pet line as well.

“It’s been surreal [since learning I won this

award],” Prince said, “but it’s so wonderful

to be recognized. When you’re a home-based

business you’re usually flying under the

radar. I don’t have a big sign or a

shop. And it’s a huge honor. I’m so

happy that this business is being

recognized.”

Creator of Wicked Whoopie Pies Receives Woman Business Owner of the Year AwardBy Wanda Curtis

LooHoo Wool Dryer Balls owner Cyndi Prince named Maine’s Small Business Administration’s Home-Based Business Champion AwardBY DEBRA BELL Special to the BDN

Camden entrepreneur, Cyndi Prince

“she took her thinking-outside-the-box idea and went back to the business planning drawing board to map out her success”


The Small Business Association has named

McVety’s Home and Hearth owner Pete

McVety as the recipient of the 2014 Veteran

Owned Small Business of the Year Award.

The award is presented to a veteran of the

U.S. Armed Forces who serves as majority

owner of a small business operating for at

least three years.

“We congratulate Peter and Susan McVety

on this well deserved award, and we thank

them for their service to our country and

the local business community,” Jeanne A.

Hulit, president of the Community Banking

Division for Northeast Bank said. “Their

efforts to implement sound management

practices and develop a knowledgeable sales

force has resulted in consistent sales growth

and product expansion over the past three

years. This foundation has been invaluable

to their success and I have no doubt will help

them serve the home heating needs of area

customers for years to come. Northeast Bank

is proud to partner with the SBA to support

our veteran entrepreneurs and look to do

more to help our service men and women as

they grow their businesses here in Maine.”

McVety is a 20-year veteran of the U.S.

Navy. He also served at the Pentagon for

five years, where he was during the Sept.

11 terrorist attacks. After McVety retired

from the Navy, he thought he’d move back to

Maine but said he was unsure what he would

do for employment.

“I was the contracts administrator for a

large security firm in Northern Virginia,

and our goal was always to come back to

Maine once I was done with the Navy,” he

said. “That goal was delayed a couple of years

while our children finished high school. As

you may know, life in D.C. is quite a rat race,

so we decided to find a viable business and see

if we could make a go of it in Maine, before we

lost our sanity. Both of our children were out

of the house so there was no family tying us

to D.C. We had looked at several businesses

when we decided on the stove shop -- after

all, how can you go wrong with selling wood

stoves in Maine?”

McVety’s instincts were right. He and his

wife now own three shops located in Bangor,

Augusta and Yarmouth.

“We bought the locations of the Bangor and

Augusta store,” said McVety. “The two stores

were already in business as Finest Hearth.

That business had five stores at the time -- we

purchased two of the five locations ...We sell

wood, gas and pellet stoves, fireplaces, and

inserts. We sell all of the accessories that

accompany any of these products as well. We

sell a number of lines of patio furniture and

new to our stores is a Retractable Awning by

Solair. We are promoting and have on display

in Bangor and Yarmouth stores the Mini

Split by Fujitsu. We also have customized

aluminum dock systems by Aqua Lounge

made here in Maine. We have a couple of grill

lines as well, both gas and pellet ... Our best

selling product is the CB1200 pellet stove from

quadrafire.”

McVety said the SBA helped free up

the money that he and his wife needed to

purchase the Bangor location.

“Without the SBA loan backing, I doubt we

would have been able to open. It is difficult to

borrow money,” said McVety.

In regards to the award, McVety said he

appreciates the SBA’s recognition of all the

hard work he and his wife have put into the

business.

“This award is great,” he said.

McVety’s Home and Hearth Received Veteran Owned Small Business of the Year AwardBy Wanda Curtis

“How can you go wrong with selling wood stoves in Maine?”

PORTLAND — Whoever said going into business with your

spouse should be avoided never met Mary Allen Lindemann

and Alan Spear.

The founders of Coffee By Design were named Maine’s

Small Business Person of the Year by the U.S. Small Business

Administration. The couple will be invited to Washington to vie

for a national award in mid-May.

“The company has a long track record of leading not

only locally but regionally as well,” said Seth Goodall, New

England administrator for the federal government’s small-

business advocacy arm. “These awards honor companies that

are exceptionally strong and contribute to New England’s

economy.”

Goodall said Coffee By Design’s steady growth and eagerness

to “promote their product not only through sales but word of

mouth” made the company rise to the top.

Celebrating 20 years in business this July, the Portland

roasters have been on an updraft of late. They purchased a

45,000-square-foot warehouse in East Bayside and opened a

swank new cafe/roastery and coffee lab last month. Spear

travels the world to meet with coffee farmers, and the

company’s wholesale clients from Fort Fairfield to Chicago

continues to expand.

Nominations are judged on criteria such as staying power,

employee growth and increase in sales and innovation.

Matthew Qualey of Qualey Granite & Quartz in Veazie nabbed

the state’s top award last year.

“For those of us in the food service industry in the state of

Maine, it is nice on a statewide level to have what we do be

recognized and valued,” said Lindemann. “We are thrilled.”

The specialty coffee company, with 55 employees and five

cafes, has a long history of supporting local arts and nonprofit

groups. A dollar for each pound of their Rebel Blend, for

example, is funneled to community arts funding. The couple co-

founded Portland Buy Local and First Friday Artwalk.

Paul Collins, vice president of Androscoggin Bank,

nominated them.

“Once you hear their backstory, which is success through

work and determination, it’s a story that a lot of small

businesses aspire to,” said Collins, who gave Coffee By Design

a loan to purchase its new headquarters. “When I was asked to

nominate someone, I thought of them first.”

SBA names Coffee by Design Maine’s Small Business Person of the Year Award

8 SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION • Bangor Daily News Special Advertising Section • JUNE 6, 2014

“ Once you hear their backstory, which is success through work and determination, it’s a story that a lot of small businesses aspire to”

A winning missionCoffee By Design aims to carry out its mission of educating

consumers about specialty coffee; providing superior quality coffee

beans, beverages, and food products; and fulfilling its commitment to

environmental and economic sustainability by always keeping with

the core values that set their company apart:

1. We are accountable for all our words, actions, and deeds. 2. We are passionate about coffee and excited to share our knowledge with our customers. 3. We are committed to the local community and the arts. 4. We strive to be good citizens and do our part to protect the environment. 5. We expect to have fun. 6. We value and respect our co-workers, our customers, our suppliers, and our community. 7. Communication: We will maintain open and honest communication and feedback and respect all points of view.

8. Representing the Company: We represent CBD well, acting as ambassadors casting the Company in a positive light.

9. Leading Others: We lead by example, exemplifying the values set forth in our mission statement.

10. Commitment to Excellence: We will handle all tasks with a high degree of professionalism, ensuring excellence in all our work and relationships.

11. Decision making: We value consensual and participatory decision making. When necessary, leadership may make decisions using their best judgment without input from staff members.


www.bangor.com 1.877.BANGOR1

Bangor Savings Bank is proud to have earned the SBA’s recognition as Maine’s top lender to small businesses three years in a row.

We’re committed to going the extra mile so you don’t have to.

Ask about our small business loans and other solutions that can help your business grow.

Member FDIC

“They come to your business. They talk to you.

They want you to succeed.”

Kurt & Kathy Cressey Owners, Pack Baskets of Maine

Terry Trickey, a senior

business banking officer

with Bangor Savings Bank in

Portland, is being recognized

as the Small Business

Administration’s Financial

Services Champion.

“I work to be an

advocate for business owners,”

Trickey said. “That includes

spending time with them

to learn about the business, as well as their plans, both

immediate and in the future.”

Trickey noted that Bangor Savings Bank has been

recognized as the top SBA lender in Maine for the past three

years, during which time the bank approved more than

$30 million in SBA guaranteed loans. Additionally, Bangor

Savings is one of only 200 banks nationwide participating in

the SBA Veteran’s Pledge Initiative, which is committed to

increasing the level of financing to military veteran-owned

businesses by five percent over a five-year period. Bangor

Savings was selected for this special program based on the

bank’s track record for lending to veterans.

“Bangor Savings Bank is a Preferred Lender

Program (PLP) bank, which allows the highest level of

autonomy that the SBA affords to lenders,” Trickey explained.

This designation means that Bangor Savings can make final

credit decisions on behalf of the SBA, closing, and most

servicing and liquidation authority. While the SBA continues

to make the final eligibility decisions, Bangor Savings’

PLP status allows them to streamline and expedite the loan

approval process, often times by weeks.

“SBA has recognized the expertise of the bank and its

employees based on their demonstrated proficiency in

processing and servicing SBA loans,” she said.

“As Maine’s largest independent bank, we

understand the importance of supporting Maine businesses

and recognize that small business is an extremely powerful

driver of Maine’s economy,” Trickey said.

“I am flattered and honored to receive this award,”

she continued. “I am lucky enough to have a job that allows me

to learn about all of the wonderful things that business owners

in Maine are doing and I consider it a privilege to be able to

assist in some way to help them be successful. I would not be

in a position to have been selected without the great support

of the bank and the people within the organization. Bangor

Savings has always had a strong commitment to offer guaranty

programs such as SBA, and that allows me to provide creative

options to businesses.”

Bangor Savings Bank, with more than $3 billion

in assets, offers retail banking and investment management

services to Maine consumers as well as comprehensive

commercial, corporate, payroll administration, merchant

services, insurance, and small business banking services to

Maine businesses. Together the bank and its foundation invest

more than $1 million per year into the community in the form

of nonprofit sponsorships, grants and partnership initiatives.

For more information, call

(877) 226-4671, visit bangor.com, or stop by any of the 57

Bangor Savings Bank branches statewide.

Terry Trickey wins the Small Business Administration’s Financial Services Champion AwardBY SHEILA GRANT Special to the BDN

DeBlois Electric Inc. in Lewiston is the

recipient of this year’s SBA Jeffrey Butland

Award, which honors a family-owned and

operated business that has been passed on

from one generation to the next.

DeBlois Electric was founded in 1967

by Wilfrid DeBlois. While no longer the

residential contractor business of the early

days, the company remains true to its original

mission to build lasting relationships,

according to Mitch DeBlois, co-owner and

president of the company. Wilfrid DeBlois

retains his ownership position as chairman of

the board, and his wife, Gaetane, continues to

serve as treasurer.

The couple has passed their work

ethic on to their sons. Mitch joined the family

business as an electrical project and design

engineer in 1988, and is a master electrician

in Maine and New Hampshire. Raymond

DeBlois, co-owner and chief financial officer,

joined DeBlois Electric in 1993 after receiving

his degree in business management.

“As the CFO, Ray works with the

project team on cost accountability and

cost containment for the benefit of both our

company and our customers,” said Mitch

DeBlois, who works closely with project

owners, general contractors, architects and

construction managers to bring projects to

a “satisfactory conclusion through closely

coordinated and managed design/build

applications.”

“DeBlois Electric and Lighting

Concepts have remained devoted to success

through an extremely challenging economic

environment over the last few years, and we

are poised for future success,” Mitch DeBlois

said. “Rather than sit back and allow the

poor economy to drive our future, we have

proactively managed our resources and

developed new strategies. With Androscoggin

Bank as our new banking partner, we

are confident we will have a secure and

prosperous future.”

The company’s owners and

employees are proud to receive the Jeffrey

Butland Award, and take it as a sign that

family business in Maine is strong and

thriving, he said.

“The SBA really stepped up to support us

as a small business. They recognized our

challenges, especially in this ever-changing

banking environment. The SBA enabled us to

refinance with a local banking partner, which

is a perfect match for our business.”

With a full-time electrical design

engineer on staff, the compnay specializes in

design and build services, as well as negotiated

and competitively bid plan and specification

projects.

“Our resume includes electrical projects

for hospitals, medical offices, commercial

venues, retail/box stores, manufacturing,

educational facilities, and residential/multi-

unit residential projects,” he said.

The company provides services

statewide. Twenty years ago, DeBlois Electric

expanded by opening a retail store, Lighting

Concepts.

“We made the decision to diversify into

retail to offer our residential customers a local

resource for home lighting,” DeBlois said.

“We work diligently to cross-promote both

companies, and many employees share skill

sets between the businesses.”

The mission of both companies is to

build lasting relationships, he said.

“We are proud to say that we have grown

the company from Willie’s two-man operation

into two companies that employ 42 people.

Half of our employees have been with our

companies for more than 10 years,” said

DeBlois.

For more information, call

783-6512 or visit debloiselectric.com.

From One Generation to the Next, DeBlois Electric Inc.BY SHEILA GRANT Special to the BDN

“Rather than sit back and allow the poor economy to drive our future, we have proactively managed our resources and developed new strategies.”


Gelato would seem to be an unusual product

to be at the heart of a Maine business success

story.

Yet the passion of Joshua Davis and Bruno

Tropeano for this tasty Italian dessert has led

to the two founders of Gelato Fiasco being

named Young Entrepreneurs of the Year by

the Small Business Association not just for the

state, but for Region 1 (New England), as well.

“Josh Davis and Bruno Tropeano have

worked really hard to make their business

successful, and it shows,” Seth Goodall, SBA

regional administrator for New England,

said of the pair. “They are dedicated and

creative and sell very tasty and high quality

products. As young entrepreneurs, Josh and

Bruno also serve as terrific role models and

an inspiration for others to start their own

business in Maine.”

Coincidentally, word of the award came

on the same day that the company finished

paying off its SBA-backed loan.

“I saw the SBA on caller ID and I figured it

had to do with the loan payoff,” Davis recalled.

“Little did I know, it was to announce

we had won the award.”

The award serves as affirmation.

“It’s a reassuring sign that we’re

doing the right type of things,”

Tropeano said. “There aren’t many

points along the way of bootstrapping a

gelato company based in Maine that the

route is clearly identified, but somehow

the award gives us something to mark

the path so-far with. We’re humbled to

win.”

The Gelato Fiasco

website offers this

description of the

company’s treat:

“Gelato is a style

of ice cream that

dates back several

centuries to Italy.

Since the primary

ingredient in good

gelato is milk, not

cream, it has a softer

dairy profile that should allow flavors to come

through more strongly than a traditional ice

cream.”

How did the two friends, who first met

in 2001 as roommates at Bentley College in

Waltham, Massachusetts develop an affinity

for gelato?

It was almost hereditary for Tropeano, a

Brookfield, Connecticut native. His parents

emigrated from Italy, and the family took

multiple trips to the old country, where he

developed a taste for gelato. Davis, a Belgrade

native, got hooked on the Italian ice cream

while in college.

After graduating from Bentley in 2005, the

two began an informal quest to find the best

gelato.

“Over the years we made it a point to try

gelato in U.S. cities -- places where you’d

expect to find the best, like New York and

Boston -- and we both agreed that no one was

doing gelato justice,” Davis recalled. “We had

to do something.”

The pair, who had run a small property

management company in college, had been

looking for another business opportunity. So

why not make this passion their livelihood?

“Josh and Bruno sensed both a

responsibility and an opportunity and set

off to rediscover the lost art. Imagining a

long-forgotten Red Spoon Society of superior

gelato artisans, they learned the techniques

and practices of the old masters of gelato.

They used those techniques as a foundation

for creating an even better gelato experience:

make lots of creative flavors for discerning

guests, serve them in a way that invites

discovery and delight, and never compromise

on quality,” according to the official company

history

The key to make artisanal gelato: use of

local milk from Houlton Farms Dairy and

Maine’s Own Organic (MOO) Milk, adding

only the best ingredients, such as pistachios

from Sicily, vanilla beans from Madagascar

and wild blueberries from the Maine coast,

and making a fresh product daily.

CEO Davis focuses on customer service

and management, while president Tropeano

is the gelato maker, developing new flavors,

managing ingredient supply sources, and

training staff members to become expert

gelateri.

Their flagship store opened Aug. 7, 2007,

at 74 Maine St. in Brunswick. They chose the

name “as a hedge against trend-pursuers,

treasure hunters, and impostors, for only a

true food lover, guided by his or her own sense

of adventure, would dare enter a store with

that name,” their website explains.

Although they had no experience in the

restaurant industry, as consumers, they knew

what they liked, which informed the core

values of Gelato Fiasco.

“The little things became so obviously

what makes the difference in us having a

great experience at a place versus just having

an okay time,” Davis said. “So, with that in

mind, we decided that our core value would

be running the business from a customer’s

point of view, i.e., later hours, open every day,

giving samples for free, etc.”

These decisions came organically rather

than deliberately.

“We didn’t think too much about those

things specifically -- we just implemented

them because they were things we would

want as customers,” Tropeano added.

The second store, Gelato Fiasco Old Port,

opened in 2012 at 425 Fore St. in Portland.

The two locations serve about 30 flavors

of gelato and sorbetto (a water-based

dessert), chosen from a roster of around

1,500 flavors, made fresh

each day, along with a

variety of hot drinks.

The company also

supplies hand-packed

pints to approximately

500 grocery stores across

the nation.

“People all over the

country really recognize

Maine products for

their quality and we’re

really proud to now

be sold in over 32 states, largely because

of the association people make between

wholesomeness, Maine and Gelato Fiasco,”

Davis said. “It’s really amazing to be able to

travel across the country and find a pint of

gelato at a supermarket. It makes me smile

when I look at the back and it says ‘Hand

packed in Brunswick, Maine.’ ”

Gelato Fiasco also provides catering for

weddings and parties.

The company gives back through its

Scooping for Community Program, through

which Gelato Fiasco donates 100 percent of

sales from a non-profit’s supporters on the

organization’s designated day.

Gelato Fiasco employs more than 50 people

at its two stores and its Flavor Foundry

manufacturing facility and offices in

Brunswick.

Much of the credit for the company’s

success should go to its employees, Tropeano

said.

“Our employees are top-notch. These are

folks with big hearts who work hard and

seriously care about doing a good job.”

As for the company’s future, it’s always

evolving.

“We have a lot of things to figure out, but

we are very excited about the opportunity in

front of us and feel good about the team behind

us, working so hard to make it all happen,”

Tropeano said.

Two Founders of Gelato Fiasco are named Young Entrepreneurs of the Year By Dale McGarrigle Special to the BDN “Over the years we made it a point to try gelato in U.S. cities -- places where you’d expect to find

the best, like New York and Boston -- and we both agreed that no one was doing gelato justice”


DeBlois Electric

Androscoggin Bank congratulates Wilfrid, Geatane, Mitch and Ray DeBlois, awarded Maine’s 2014 Jeffrey Butland Family Business of the Year by the U.S Small Business Administration. As one of Northern New England’s premier electrical contractors, DeBlois Electric has been building relationships since 1967. Androscoggin Bank is proud to partner with, and support businesses like DeBlois.

For information on how we can partner with your business efforts, contactDave Eldridge, SVP & Commercial Lending Manager • 207.376.3626 • [email protected]

Congratulations! Winner of Maine SBA’s Jeffrey Butland Small Family Business of the Year

Androscoggin Bank—#1 in volume and dollars for SBA 504 Lending YTD in 2014 • androscogginbank.com

Like many small business owners, Brian

and Kimberly Plavnick faced numerous

challenges while struggling to launch

and grow a new business. Perhaps what

distinguishes the duo and their seven

employees is the innovative ways in which

those challenges were overcome, and the

company’s commitment to giving back to the

community via numerous in-kind donations

and fundraising events.

In 2006, the Plavnicks began

exploring the possibility of opening a youth-

based business.

“We didn’t have much of a nest egg,”

said Brian Plavnick. The couple dreamed of

opening a fixed-location facility that offered

youths a variety of activities to do under one

roof.

“I worked on a business plan and shopped

that around, but it was very difficult to get a

loan at that point, especially for a youth-based

business, from a bank or any other source,”

Brian Plavnick explained.

Eventually, one bank official suggested that

the couple start off with a smaller idea.

“I took his advice after trying hard to

do the thing that I wanted,” Plavnick said. But

financing remained elusive, so the business

plan was scaled back even further. The couple

decided to focus solely on laser tag. When

financing still could not be secured to buy the

equipment necessary for startup, Plavnick,

who has a technology background, decided to

develop his own product.

By the summer of 2008, the company

had built 16 taggers and was ready to offer

mobile events, rather than owning a fixed-

location business.

“The first year we definitely lost money,”

he said. “The second year we started making

a little bit, and each year after that we grew.

We put all of the money back into the business.

About two years ago, we were doing really

well, so we decided to go back again and try to

get additional funding to get more equipment.”

Plavnick returned to the Northern

Maine Development Commission, one of the

entities which had reviewed his original

business plan.

“They really liked what I was doing and

believed in it,” Plavnick said. An arrangement

with the NMDC, using SBA funds, provided

significant financial support, allowed the

company to consolidate financing, and

reduced its monthly payments.

The company has been able to

add “inflatable city” to its laser tag course

landscaping options. The number of taggers

has increased to 80, with another 40 to be

finished by summer. A six-person wrecking

ball and a 150-foot-long “military style”

obstacle course, a gaga ball, a bounce/

jousting arena, and sumo wrestling have

been added to the company’s portable venue

options. Customers can also opt to have fog,

a light show, and even food. The most recent

expansion of services is the addition of music

by DJ NoKlipz.

Both the financial support and the

award have deep meaning for Plavnick.

“I have worked for myself since I was a little

kid, and I’ve always had to do everything with

a shoestring, or even a broken string, budget,”

he said. “I’ve never had anybody believe in me

before; never had a business loan before; and

never been recognized for the hard work that

I do.”

G-Force Laser Tag travels

throughout New England and beyond to

provide entertainment at a variety of events

-- from birthday parties to corporate events.

For more information, call 227-5562 or visit

g-forcelasertag.com.

G-Force Laser Tag, based in Caribou, is the SBA’s Microenterprise of the Year. BY SHEILA GRANT Special to the BDN

“I have worked for myself since I was a little kid, and I’ve always had to doeverything with a shoestring, or even a broken string, budget.”

Start, build, and grow your small business with us!

SBA LenderPreferred Lenders Program

Member FDIC BHBT.com • 1-888-853-7100

Rick L. Koch, SVPBusiness Services207‐373‐5101

Let us help your Maine business

Commercial loans ‐ Personal serviceLoans up to $10,000,000

Serviced Locally

16 SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION • Bangor Daily News Special Advertising Section • JUNE 6, 2014

Smart Business Checking

The checks wouldhave to write themselves to make this accountany better.

Smart Business Checking is a low to no cost checking account* that comes with your own personal banker to get you started and provide you with ongoing support.

Call 207-839-4796 or visit your nearest branch to learn more.

gorhamsavingsbank.com* No transaction fees for up to 450 paid or deposited items per statement cycle (additional items $ .35 each).Member FDIC Equal Housing Lender

We are proud to support Maine’s business community.

Congratulations to the 2014 SBA Award Winners!

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

Helping Maine Businesses Since 1983

Congratulations2014 SBA

Award Winners

Congratulations Peter McVetyof McVety’s Hearth and Home

Maine’s SBA 2014 Veteran Small Business Owner of the Year!

Northeast Bank is committed to helping Veterans like Peter start or grow their business through the SBA’s Veterans Advantage Program.

To learn more, visit northeastbank.com/smallbusiness

Contact one of our Small Business Loan Specialists today!

Tim Michalak1.800.284.5989 ext. [email protected]

Luke Takatsu1.800.284.5989 ext. [email protected]

Small Business Lender Luke Takatsu and Community Banking Division President Jeanne Hulit with Peter McVety.

A Salute to Maine Small Business

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