InTouch MONTHLY NEWSLETTER FEBRUARY 2014

50 ELM STREET, WATERVILLE, ME 04901 • TEL: (207) 873-3315 • FAX: (207) 877-0087

info@midmainechamber.com • www.midmainechamber.com

Brad Fisher, Chair of the Board • Kimberly N. Lindlof, President & CEO

Highlights in this Issue:

P. 2: From the President’s Chair

P. 3: Quarry Road Rec. Area Creates Growth

P. 4: Member Events Calendar

P. 6: Healthy People of the Kennebec Awards

P. 7: Member News

P. 8: Member Spotlight: Little Pictures of Maine

Business Visitation Program: Businesses Were Stronger in 2013, Expect to Grow By Bruce Harrington, chair of the Business

Expansion & Retention Committee

Each year, the Chamber’s Business Expansion

and Retention Committee meets with area business-

es to get feedback about how things are going. This

Business Visitation Program helps us identify

trends in our local economy and to understand areas

where we can better assist our area businesses.

In 2013, the committee met with and interviewed

eighteen local businesses, with employees ranging

from one to 350 full time equivalents. In our sample

we found that the companies added employees over

the past three years. Our sample added an average of

16 full time employees, for an increase of 38%. We

asked our sample about growth over the past two

and five years, and expected growth in the next two

and five years. Our businesses have all grown over

the past two years and expect to grow over the next

two years. They grew even more over the past five

years and have similar expectations over the next

five years. Our sample businesses plan to stay in

central Maine over the next two and five years. The

businesses in our sample feel that central Maine is a

good place to do business, with a ranking of 4 of 5.

The same businesses felt that the State of Maine was

in the middle of the range, at 3.28, as a good place

to do business.

We asked respondents to rank on a scale of 1-5

about access to internet, the impact of the Afforda-

ble Care Act, and if energy costs were impeding

growth. Most of the businesses surveyed found the

internet availability sufficient for their needs (4.0).

Continued on page 2.

51st Annual Awards Dinner

Tuesday, April 29, 2014 Waterville Elks Banquet & Conference Center

5PM Social Hour sponsored by

6PM Dinner & Award Presentations Contact Mid-Maine Chamber of Commerce to reserve your tickets!

Distinguished Community

Service Award

John & Jackie Dalton

Elias A. Joseph Award

Bart Stevens Century 21 Nason Realty

Business Person of the Year

Shane Savage Fairfield, Oakland, Unity & Winslow Pharmacies

Business of the Year

Kennebec Behavioral Health

Outstanding Professional

Darlene Ratte Best Western Plus Waterville

Community Service Project

of the Year

Maine Film Center

Rising Star Award

Joshua Reny Town of Fairfield

Customer Service Stardom Award

Doreen Brown Hampton Inn Waterville

Thanks to our major sponsor:

- Kimberly

Page 2

From the President’s Chair

Many of you have asked me over

the years about how the 2% of addi-

tional meals and lodging tax money

is spent. Each year Kennebec Valley

Tourism Council (KVTC), a board on which I’ve

served since my hire at the Chamber, receives a

promotion grant for the sole purpose of promoting

tourism in the Kennebec Valley Region

(Kennebec and Somerset Counties) from the

Maine Office of Tourism . The 1st regular session

of the 120th Maine legislature established the

Tourism Promotion Marketing Fund in the De-

partment of Economic and Community Devel-

opment, Office of Tourism, as a non-lapsing,

dedicated account.

The primary objective of the Maine Tourism

Marketing Partnership Program (MTMPP) is the

creation and implementation of programs de-

signed to stimulate and expand the travel industry

within Maine’s tourism regions while strengthen-

ing the State’s image by coordinating the promo-

tional efforts of the private sector with those of

the Office of Tourism. Programs must be aligned

with and support the Five Year Plan developed by

the Office of Tourism.

KVTC will be holding a meeting on Feb. 28,

2014, at 10:00 in the Mid-Maine Chamber of

Commerce boardroom to gather information, in-

put and ideas from local tourism related business-

es. If you are interested in providing feedback,

please e-mail Tanya Bentley, KVTC executive

director, at tanya@kennebecvalley.org to RSVP

to attend this meeting.

We’d love to hear your suggestions. Please

join us.

Bowdoin Photography

Complimentary hors

d’oeuvres and drinks,

ribbon cutting ceremony,

fabulous door prizes, 50/50

raffle & more!

Sponsored by:

Eye Care of Maine 325A Kennedy Memorial Dr.,

Waterville

February 12th · 5:30-7PM

50/50 Sponsor:

Business Visitation Program Continued from page 1.

Our businesses leaned toward feeling

an impact on their business from the

ACA (3.4), but that was correlated to the

number of employees within the organi-

zation. Finally, our respondents appeared

to be neutral on energy costs (3.0), which

is a positive improvement from a year

ago.

We asked some open ended questions

about challenges. Challenges noted in-

cluded high energy costs, the difficultly

finding qualified employees, and chal-

lenges with the partisan politics that have

become more prevalent in the past few

years. Taxes were noted, as they are each

year, as were general economic issues

associated with a sluggish economy. On

the positive side, our respondents over-

whelmingly noted the quality of the peo-

ple and community in which their busi-

nesses operate, which is a true testament

to who we are in central Maine.

And I would be remiss not to note that

the respondents all found their chamber

membership valuable (4.1) and the net-

working opportunities plentiful and prof-

itable. If you are interested in getting

involved in the Chamber, the Business

Expansion and Retention committee is

always welcoming new members to the

table.

If you are interested in joining the Busi-

ness Expansion and Retention Committee

or another Mid-Maine Chamber of Com-

merce committee, please call 873-3315

to learn more.

Look for a Business Visitation Program survey in your 2014 renewal

packet! Please complete and return this survey, which helps us identify

trends in our local economy and to understand areas where we can better

assist our area businesses.

WATERVILLE

Page 3

Quarry Road Recreation Area—Creating

Growth in Central Maine! By Ellen Wells

Visit Quarry Road Recreation

Area in Waterville any day of the

week this winter and you’re likely to

find a flurry of outdoor activity. From

cross-country skiing, snowshoeing and

ice climbing to sledding, dog walking,

Nordic ski racing, and even winter

biking, there’s something for everyone

to enjoy - right in the heart of the city.

Over the past six years, the former

Colby Ski Slope area has evolved

from an overgrown field with a dirt

path into a top-notch four-season rec-

reation destination with 10km (6

miles) of trails. A one-of-a-kind,

state-of-the-art snowmaking system

helps ensure that the trails are snow-

covered and groomed daily for cross-

country skiing. Programs at the area

provide opportunities for people of all

ages to learn skills and adopt a lifelong habit of

being active outdoors year-round.

A Welcome Center Yurt added last fall now

offers warm respite on cold winter days and a com-

fortable space for groups to gather. On weekends

throughout the winter, Barrels Community Mar-

ket is serving up delicious and nutritious lunches.

The world-class trail system at Quarry Road

provides a desirable venue for regional competi-

tions, attracting thousands of participants and spec-

tators to the Waterville area. In January, Colby

College returned to host its Colby Carnival Nordic

ski races; 14 college teams from several states in

the northeast and Canada participated, filling local

hotels and restaurants for the weekend. On Febru-

ary 8, Friends of Quarry Road and the City of

Waterville host their own winter carnival, a free

community event featuring family-friendly activi-

ties that attracts hundreds. Finally, the Bill Koch

Festival is slated for February 21-23. This event

draws hundreds of young cross-country racers and

their families from all over New England and be-

yond.

Other events and activities are planned through-

out the year with dates already reserved for the

summer season. Options for a variety of year-

round outdoor activities are limitless at the city-

owned facility managed by Waterville’s Parks &

Recreation Department with assistance from a non-

profit group of dedicated volunteers, Friends of

Quarry Road.

Waterville’s Quarry Road Recreation Area cer-

tainly elevates the health status of those who take

advantage of the facility, and is helping to boost the

local economy as well. The facility has increased

Waterville’s popularity as an “active community”

and desirable place to live, work and play. Quarry

Road offers residents, visitors and local businesses

the opportunity to converge, create, and prosper!

To learn more, visit quarryroadrecarea.org.

Young skiers race past the new Quarry Road Recreation Area “Welcome Yurt.”

Business Breakfast Series

Business Spotlight Reserve a Spotlight table at an upcoming Business Breakfast!

Don’t miss this free marketing opportunity for Chamber members. E-mail Amy at

info@midmainechamber.com to learn more and to sign up.

Thursday, March 27

12PM—6PM

Colby College Field

House

Join us for the area’s

premier tradeshow:

Unmatched networking

2,000+ attendees

Free admission with

business card ($5 general

admission)

Register as an exhibitor at

www.midmaineb2b.com

Page

4

Feb. 1: Chinese New Year Family

Day, Colby College Museum of Art.

Games, stories, art-making, traditional

Chinese treats, and hourly tours of the

exhibition Spaces and Places: Chinese Art

from the Lunder-Colville Collection and the

Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. 10 AM.

Feb. 5: “Developing Your Business Plan” pre-

sented by KVCOG at 93 Main St., Waterville,

part of a series aiming to support small busi-

ness creation. 9-11AM. FMI or to donate to

the prize package for the winner: Sarah Ross at

453-4258, ext. 223.

Feb. 5: Waterville Area Habitat for Human-

ity open house. 5:30-7PM at Bank of Maine’s

KMD, Waterville branch. Information on

WAHFH as well as ways to support these ef-

forts will be provided. Light refreshments; all

are welcome.

Feb. 6: “Good Agricultural Practices Certifica-

tion” with speakers Jed Beach & Amelia Car-

bone. Part of Kennebec Valley Community

College’s Sustainable Food Series. 12:30—

1:30 PM in Frye Conference Room.

Feb. 6-7, 7:30 PM, & Feb. 8, 2 PM: “Bloody

Bloody Andrew Jackson” at Colby College’s

Runnals/Strider Theater. FMI: www.colby.edu

or 859-4736.

Feb. 6: Japanese Noh Chants at Colby Col-

lege Museum of Art with Associate Professor

of Music Steven Nuss. Noh uses austere and

haunting melodies that give life to the classic

tales of nature, love gained & lost, and the

triumphs and tragedies of the samurai. 7PM.

FMI: www.colby.edu or 859-4736.

Feb. 8-9: Maine Pond Hockey Classic on

China Lake. 9-5PM Saturday. 9-3PM Sunday.

Feb. 8: Winter Carnival at Quarry Road Rec-

reation Area. Family-friendly activities in-

clude skiing, snowshoeing, dog sled rides, the

Amazing Tree Maze & more. Part of Inland

Hospital’s LET’S GO! Family Fun Series.

10AM-2PM; free admission. FMI: quarryroad-

recarea.org, inlandhospital.org or 861-3292.

Feb. 8: Live from the Met: Rusalka at Water-

ville Opera House at 12:55PM. FMI: 873-

7000 or www.operahouse.org.

Feb. 8: Art to Heart: Valentine Printmaking

Workshop. Mirken Education Center, Colby

College Museum of Art. 10AM. FMI:

www.colby.edu or 859-4736.

Feb. 11: Friends Night Out: Jewelry & Choco-

late at Stained Glass Express, 10 Railroad

Square, Waterville, 5-8PM. Just in time for

Valentine’s Day! Cost: $50 (includes instruc-

tion, materials & refreshments).

FMI: melissa@stainedglassexpress.com

Feb. 12: “Beginning Farmers Resource Net-

work” with speaker Gray Harris. Part of

KVCC’s Sustainable Food Series. 12:30—

1:30 PM in Frye Conference Room.

Feb. 12: National Theatre Live: The Audience

at Waterville Opera House at 7PM. FMI:

873-7000 or www.operahouse.org.

Feb. 14: Maine-ly Elder Care blood pressure

clinic at Uncle Dean’s, Grove St., Waterville.

11-1PM. All screenings free & participants

are entered to win $25 gift card. RN on site to

provide screenings and information. FMI:

www.maine-lyeldercare.com.

Feb. 14: Be Our Valentine Celebration &

Open House at Colby College Museum of

Art. Live music, self-guided, love-inspired

scavenger hunt & valentine-making workshop.

Begins at 6PM; food & drinks provided. FMI:

www.colby.edu or 859-4736.

Feb. 14: The Hollows Live in Concert at

Waterville Opera House. 8PM. FMI: 873-

7000 or www.operahouse.org.

Feb. 15: “Boomers: Reinventing Retirement”

on the 3rd Saturdays of February, March &

April 10-11:15AM. Free at Water-

ville Public Library with facilitator

Jim Peacock of Peak Careers Con-

sulting. How will you spend your

time & energy when you leave full time em-

ployment? FMI: http://bit.ly/1dE70cr.

Feb. 16: National Theatre Live rebroadcast of

Coriolanus at Waterville Opera House at

2PM. FMI: 873-7000 or www.operahouse.org.

Feb. 19: Peer support group facilitator training

with Hospice Volunteers of Waterville Area.

5-8PM. FMI: 873-3615 or josborn@hvwa.org.

Feb. 19: Waterville Opera House presents

National Theatre Live’s Frankenstein. 7PM.

FMI: 873-7000 or www.operahouse.org.

Feb. 22: Peer support group facilitator training

with Hospice Volunteers of Waterville Area.

8:30-1PM. FMI: 873-3615 or

josborn@hvwa.org.

Feb. 22: Aditya Verma - Music at Colby Se-

ries at Colby College’s Lorimer Chapel.

7:30PM. FMI: www.colby.edu or 859-4736.

Feb. 26: Marketing Plan Seminar presented by

KVCOG at 93 Main St., Waterville, part of a

series aiming to support small business crea-

tion. 9-11AM. FMI or to donate to the prize

package for the winner, contact Sarah Ross at

453-4258, ext. 223.

Feb. 26: Job Fair at Waterville Public Li-

brary, co-sponsored by Mid-Maine Chamber

& KVCAP. 10:30-12:30PM.

Feb. 26: “Hunger Relief in Maine” with speak-

er Nancy Perry. Part of KVCC’s Sustainable

Food Series. 12:30—1:30 PM in Frye Confer-

ence Room.

Feb. 26: Maine-ly Elder Care blood pressure

clinic at Hannaford, Skowhegan. 2-4PM.

FMI: www.maine-lyeldercare.com.

Feb. 27: “What is Organic?” with speaker Kate

Newkirk. Part of KVCC’s Sustainable Food

Series. 12:30—1:30 PM in Frye Conference

Room.

Page 5

Boudreau’s Heating

Jeremy Boudreau

2866 Riverside Drive

Vassalboro, ME 04989

692-3079

jboudreau@roadrunner.com

www.boudreausheating.com

Children’s Center Early

Intervention & Family Support

Elizabeth Barron

1 Alden Avenue

Augusta, ME 04330

626-3497

ebarron@childrenscenteraugusta.com

www.childrenscenteraugusta.com

DJ Hoss Live Entertainment

Leon Dorr

102 Davis Road

Fairfield, ME 04937

877-1804

hoss@djhosslive.com

www.djhosslive.com

Northern Publishing

Robert Pushard

PO Box 1077

Bangor, ME 04402

843-7990

editor@svweekly.com

Shelley’s Used Cars

Shelley Rudnicki

211 Norridgewock Road

Fairfield, ME 04937

238-0032

shelleysusedcars@gmail.com

www.facebook.com/shelleysusedcars

Hospice

Volunteers of

Waterville Area welcomes Sabra

Ireland to its Board of Directors! Sabra is

an associate broker for Century 21

Surette Real Estate (& dedicated Mid-

Maine Chamber of Commerce volunteer).

Sabra looks forward to working with other

Hospice Volunteer of Waterville Area

board members & serving her community.

Hardy Girls Healthy Women welcomes

Kelli McCannell as incoming president!

Kelli’s background in non-profit leader-

ship, enthusiasm & passion for girl’s activ-

ism position her to astutely lead Hardy

Girls into its next stage of growth and de-

velopment. Congratulations!

GrowSmart Maine welcomed 5 new

Board members and a new Vice Chair at

its 1st Board Meeting of 2014. David Web-

ster, President of Portland's PDT Archi-

tects, who joined the GrowSmart Maine

Board of Directors in 2013, was elected as

Vice Chair. New Board members elected

are Carl Eppich, Greater Portland Council

of Governments; Jennifer Burns Gray,

Maine Audubon; Auburn Mayor Jonathan

LaBonte, Androscoggin Land Trust; Doug

Sanford, Eastland Development & Ed

Suslovic, Portland City Councilor.

Brian Bernatchez, CFP, president & man-

aging partner at Golden Pond Wealth

Management, was recognized as a top

financial advisor & named to the LPL Fi-

nancial Chairman’s Council for 2013.

Congratulations!

HealthReach Community Health Cen-

ter’s President & CEO Connie Coggins is

pleased to announce that Albion resident

Lois Bouchard has joined its Governing

Board of Directors. Lois retired recently

after 29 years of service to HealthReach

and has expressed a strong interest in con-

tinuing her

relationship

with and con-

tribution to

HealthReach through Board membership.

Welcome back!

Coastal Enterprises Institute is pleased

to announce the following hires, promo-

tions & awards: Brad Bennett, IT Assis-

tant; Rose Creps, Agriculture Business

Specialist with CEI’s Sustainable Agricul-

ture & Food Systems program; Ray Far-

rell; Technical Services Network Adminis-

trator; Jody Gould; Loan Administrator for

CEI Lending; Corenna Howard, Senior

Administrative Officer; Sarah Matel, Sen-

ior Credit Officer; Cole Palmer, Loan &

Investment Officer; & Daniel Wallace,

CEI’s Program Developer for Sustainable

Agriculture, was selected by the Oppor-

tunity Finance Network & Citi Foundation

as one of 50 Community Development

Financial Institution professionals to take

part in the Citi Leadership Program for

Opportunity Finance. Congratulations, all!

The acting administrator of the Small

Business Administration is stepping

down. Jeanne Hulit announced she's re-

turning to ME to serve as president of the

Northeast Community Banking Division at

Northeast Bank.

Kim Lindlof, Mid-Maine Chamber; Tina Chapman, United Way of Mid-Maine; and

Suzanne Uhl-Melanson, Uhl-Melanson Investor Services on a recent trip to Quebec

to reclaim Waterville Rotary Club’s bell.

Page

February 6: Meet the Reps 5:30-7PM at Hampton Inn Waterville

425 Kennedy Memorial Dr., Waterville

Join Mid-Maine Chamber and KV Connect for Meet

the Reps, a chance to interact with your representatives at the local,

state, and national level in a casual setting. Free and open to the pub-

lic. Please RSVP to Christian at prog.asst@midmainechamber.com.

February 12: Business After Hours 5:30-7PM Eye Care of Maine

325A Kennedy Memorial Dr., Waterville

Join us for networking and a ribbon cutting ceremony!

This is a great opportunity to mix and mingle with other business pro-

fessionals! Remember your business cards.

No registration required. Join us!

Februay 13: Business Breakfast Series 7:15-9AM at Thomas College

Summit Room, Spann Student Commons

“Computer & Information Security: Protecting Small Business” with

Professor Frank Appunn of Thomas College. To register, visit

www.midmainechamber.com or e-mail Christian at

prog.asst@midmainechamber.com.

Februay 26: Leading Women’s Luncheon 11:30-1PM at O’Brien’s Irish Pub & Restaurant

Best Western Plus, 375 Main St., Waterville

State Senator and 2nd District Congressional candidate

Emily Cain will share her story as part of this Mid-Maine Chamber of

Commerce series.

To register, e-mail Amy at info@midmainechamber.com.

6

Tues., Feb. 4 8:00 AM Business Expansion & Retention

Chamber Boardroom

Tues., Feb. 20 4:00 PM Taste of Waterville Committee

Chamber Boardroom

Fri., Feb. 21 7:30 AM Executive Committee

Chamber Boardroom

Wed., Feb. 26 8:00 AM Membership Services

Chamber Boardroom

Fri., Feb. 28 7:30 AM Board of Directors

Chamber Boardroom

Workplace Well-Being Recognition Awards

Are you working to improve the health and well-being of your employees? Does your organization offer a best-practice health

and wellness program?

If so, Healthy People of the Kennebec Valley (HPKV) wants to recognize your business with a Workplace Well-Being Award!

Award winners will be recognized at a Chamber event, featured on the HPKV Web site, and more! In addition, all applicants will

receive professional feedback regarding their programs.

To learn more, visit www.hpkv.org. To apply, click on the ap-plication link on the Web site. Application deadline is March 1.

Mid-Maine Chamber President & CEO Kim Lindlof and Board of Directors Chair Brad Fisher present Tonya Clark of T-Mobile with the 2013 Director of the Year award. Thank you for your outstanding support, Tonya!

2013 Director of the Year: Tonya Clark

Page 7

Skowhegan Savings Bank was

recently awarded the “SBA Ex-

press Lender” designation by the

Small Business Administration.

As an SBA Express Lender, Skowhegan Sav-

ings Bank can obtain approval for certain SBA

guaranteed loans quickly and easily. Proceeds

of SBA guaranteed loans can be used to fi-

nance new business acquisition, equipment,

working capital, inventory, real estate im-

provements, and debt refinance.

Maine State Chamber of Com-

merce launched a new Web site

and is now on Twitter, Facebook,

LinkedIn &YouTube. The new

Web site is easier to navigate,

more comprehensive and interactive, and al-

lows members, business leaders across the

state and the general public to access the

Maine State Chamber's messages and efforts

more easily. Connect with them on Twitter

(@mainechamber), Facebook

(www.facebook.com/MaineChamber),

LinkedIn (www.linkedin.com/groups/Maine-

State-Chamber-Commerce-3686793) and

YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/user/

MaineChamber)!

Barrels Community

Market caters! If you

have a small event or

lunch meeting you would

like to have catered, staff

is happy to work with you to create just the

right spread for the occasion. Barrels is also

expanding its popular lunch menu, so keep an

eye out for additional soups, sandwiches, and

new dishes!

MaineBiz reports that Cross Insurance has

acquired all the Willis Northern NE operations

in ME in a merger that Cross CEO Royce

Cross says cements his company's position as

the largest insurance agency in ME. With the

new business, Cross says the value of premi-

ums under management now exceeds

$700M. The 12/31/13 Willis deal was fol-

lowed by a 01/02 acquisition of The Insurance

Exchange Inc. in Stamford, CT. Combined,

Cross now operates offices in NH, MA, CT,

RI, FL & NY. The Willis merger also brings a

new specialty to Cross: 3rd party administra-

tion and managing claims for self-insured

groups. Willis' approximately 70 employees

have been retained, & its offices in Portland,

Lewiston-Auburn & Bangor are transitioning

to Cross branding. The merger brings Willis'

network of offices back to their ME roots.

Willis NNE was part of Willis Global Hold-

ings, a multinational corporation that reported

more than $791M in revenues in its most re-

cent quarter. Willis NNE came to ME in ’07

by acquiring the HRH Co. in Auburn. HRH's

forerunner had been the Dunlap Agency,

which merged with Virginia-based HRH in

2001. Dunlap Agency's roots extend back to

1869.

Nominations for this year’s Mainebiz Busi-

ness Leaders of the Year have begun to pour

in, but there is still time to nominate excep-

tional leaders from around the state. This pro-

gram honors individuals who are the key deci-

sion makers in a successful Maine business,

who actively serve the communities where

they live and work, and have led their compa-

nies to achieve significant milestones in 2013.

The nomination period will remain open until

Feb. 7. Business Leaders of the Year honorees

are considered under three categories: large

company (50+ employees), small company

and nonprofit. Nomination forms are available

at www.mainebiz.biz/bloy2014.

Efficiency Maine’s Multifamily Efficiency

Program reached a milestone in December:

since its launch 18 months ago, the program

has helped property managers weatherize more

than 1,000 apartment units throughout the

state. One thousand more units are already in

the pipeline to be weatherized in the

year ahead.

The American HealthCare

Association has selected

Oak Grove Center as a recipient

of the Silver - Achievement in

Quality Award for outstanding per-

formance in the healthcare profes-

sion. The award is one of three pos-

sible through the National Quality Award pro-

gram, presented by the American Health Care

Association and National Center for Assisted

Living. The competitive award program high-

lights select facilities across the nation that

serve as models of excellence in providing

high-quality long term care. Congratulations!

OTT Communications announced that it has

acquired Reliable Networks of Maine, a pro-

vider of cloud-based hosting and managed

services. The acquisition expands OTT Com-

munications’ existing carrier-grade service

offerings to include support for critical VoIP,

email, database and industry vertical software

applications.

Central Maine Growth

Council (CMGC) was

recently showcased in the

Winter 2014 edition of the

New European Economy,

a quarterly international

trade publication distributed in thirty-two

countries. The issue highlighted CMGC’s pro-

motion of Foreign Trade Zone (FTZ) #186 and

CMGC’s partnership with FTZ Networks to

adapt FTZ #186 to an Alternative Site Frame-

work (ASF). The ASF designation brings zone

benefits to companies in central Maine.

CMGC’s collaboration with the Kennebec

Regional Development Authority (KRDA) to

secure Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) was

also featured. To read more in the article, visit:

www.centralmaine.org/index.php/news-

events.

Page 8

50 Elm Street

Waterville, ME 04901

PRE-SORTED STANDARD

U.S. POSTAGE

PAID

PERMIT #146

Waterville, ME 04901

Have some news you would like to share? Submit a short announcement to the Chamber office by the 3rd Friday of the prior month. Inserts are also available for $125 per month. Call 873-3315 or email info@midmainechamber.com. Disclaimer: Mid-Maine Chamber’s InTouch newsletter is published monthly as a benefit to members and affiliates.

All member news is compiled and submitted solely by our members; therefore, we reserve the right to omit and/or edit as appropriate and cannot guarantee complete accuracy of

all announcements. Sponsorship inserts do not necessarily reflect the position of Mid-Maine Chamber of Commerce.

Address Correction Requested

Little Pictures of Maine Specializes in On-Location Photography Little Pictures of Maine is a photography

business located in Pittsfield, owned and op-

erated by Shawn and Pamela Little, who start-

ed the business in August of 2008, using their

hobby to make extra cash. In December of

2009, Shawn and Pam started running Little

Pictures as a full-time business.

Little Pictures of Maine specializes in on-

location photography, with studio shoots

available on request. Shawn and Pam will

travel to where you want them to, creating a

relaxed atmosphere for the subject of the

shoot. This also allows you to stay at your

home, work site or office without having to

take time from your busy day to travel to a

studio. Most of their photography is done in

central Maine, but Shawn and Pam have and

will travel the state to get the shots you need.

Little Pictures of Maine offers family pho-

tography, covering weddings, receptions,

family reunions and birthday parties, as well

as wedding and baby showers. High school

portraits, family and generational photog-

raphy, baby pictures and pets photography are

also among available services.

Businesses and non-profit agencies are

important clients for Little Pictures of Maine,

which offers head shots and other staff pho-

tography. They also take product pictures,

from food to furniture, hand-made to high

tech, as well as your facilities, equipment,

vehicle fleets and real estate. They offer

chronological coverage of construction and

renovation projects, and photograph seminars,

meetings, retreats and other corporate events.

Their love of nature and the beauty of

Maine inspired Shawn and Pam to start Little

Pictures of Maine. They offer a variety of

images to enhance your home or office.

Little Pictures of Maine is a proud support-

er of Mid-Maine Chamber of Commerce and

offers a 10% discount on any of its services to

Chamber members. Little Pictures of Maine

also offers a 10% discount to active duty mili-

tary and their immediate families.

To find out more and see examples of pho-

tographs, check out www.lpmaine.com and

http://ltlpicsme.smugmug.com/. Contact Little

Pictures of Maine at (207) 592-1769 or 592-

1683 and by email: shawn@lpmaine.com.

You can also “like” Little Pictures of Maine

on Facebook.

Little Pictures of Maine will travel to your home, office, or event to capture the moment.

Leading

Women’S

Luncheon

R E G I S T R A T I O N F O R M

Registration is $20 in advance for members, $25 at the door and for the public, and includes luncheon buffet.

Name(s): ________________________________________________________________ Phone: __________________

Company: ________________________________________Address: ________________________________________

CHECK ENCLOSED FOR $ _________. (PLEASE NOTE: To cancel, please call the Chamber three (3) business days prior to the event to avoid being charged.)

Mid-Maine Chamber of Commerce, 50 Elm Street, Waterville, ME 04901-6015

E-mail: info@midmainechamber.com • PHONE: 873-3315 • FAX: 877-0087

Join Mid-Maine Chamber of Commerce on Wednesday, February 26

11:30AM—1:00PM at Best Western Plus

375 Main Street, Waterville

with guest speaker State Senator Emily Cain

Our Leading Women’s Luncheon series is made possible by the generous sponsorship of:

Emily Cain was first elected to the Maine State House in 2004 at age 24. In 2010, Emily became the youngest woman to hold the position of House Minority Leader in Maine history. She currently serves in the State Senate and is running to become the first Democratic woman elected to represent Maine’s 2nd congressional district.

Senator Cain joins us February 26th as part of our Leading Women’s Luncheon series, which features Maine women’s presentations on their paths to success and the struggles they have faced along the way. To register, please see below.

Reach Your Target Audience The InTouch newsletter is sent to over

1,000 business professionals. What better

way to reach a responsive audience than

with Mid-Maine Chamber of Commerce’s

news publication? Advertise with us!

Pricing

8 ½ x 11 inch single sheet, unfolded $150 per issue

8 ½ x 11 inch single sheet, folded $175 per issue

650 Inserts Required

Inserts must be delivered to the Chamber office by the 3rd

Friday of the month. They are also included in our online newsletter, which is e-mailed to over 1,000 people, shared on our social networks, and added to our Web site. InTouch is printed 11 months per year.

Be wise – print on both sides of your insert.

Contact the Chamber TODAY to

reserve your space. All requests are

taken by date on a first-come, first-

serve basis. Call 873-3315 or e-mail

Amy at info@midmainechamber.com.

Business to Business

Showcase 2014

www.midmaineb2b.com

Thursday, March 27, 2014 Colby College Field House 4000 Mayflower Hill, Waterville 12:00 to 6:00 PM

The cost is $199 per booth for members of Mid-Maine Chamber of Commerce. Please fax this form to 877-0087 or e-mail Christian at prog.asst@midmainechamber.com to reserve your booth.

Name: ___________________________________________________ Company: ___________________________________________________ Signature: ___________________________________________________ Phone: ___________________________________________________ E-mail: ___________________________________________________ *Booth: 1st Choice ________ 2nd Choice ________ 3rd Choice ________

Please check what you would like provided: Electricity Table Tablecloth (Note: tablecloths requested on the day of the event will have an associated cost of $30.)

Do you have internship opportunities available? (Check yes or no.) YES NO If yes, your booth will be marked with a balloon at the showcase.

Media sponsor:

*Please see reverse to view floor plan. Booth choice will be accommodated on a first come, first served basis.

Join us for mid-Maine’s premier tradeshow, featuring:

2,000+ attendees and unmatched networking

$1,000 cash prize

Free admission with business card ($5 general admission)

Program Sponsors: Inland Hospital, Skowhegan Savings, Kennebec Electric & Lighting

Thanks to our sponsors:

1

2

3

4

5 Verizon Wireless

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24 Downeast Energy

25

26

27

28

29

30 Mount Saint Joseph

31 Care & Comfort

32 Mainebiz

33

34 Tree Spirits Winery & Distillery

35

36

37

38 Liberty Mutual

39 Leaps and Bounds

40 Mount Merici Academy

41

42

43

44

45

46 Maine-ly Elder Care

47 Summit Utilities

48 Kaplan University

49 Hampton Inn

50 Bangor Savings Bank

51 Kelly Services

52 Delta Ambulance

53 Kennebec Federal Savings

54 Century 21 Nason Realty

55 Vacationland Skydiving

56 New Dimensions FCU

57 MaineGeneral Health

58 MaineGeneral Workplace Health

59 Town of Fairfield

60 Lynch Landscaping

61 Advance 1 Cleaning

62 People’s United Bank

63 Catharsis Media

64 Blinds by Design

65 Cape Air

66 OTT Communications

67 Kennebec Savings Bank

68 PFBF CPA’s

69 Mid-Maine Adult Ed

70 Waterville Public Library

71 SBS Carbon Copy

72 Minuteman Signs

73 Central ME Growth Council

74 Transco Business Technologies

75 Eye Care of Maine

76 Kennebec Valley Comm. College

77 Maine Children’s Home

78 High Hopes Clubhouse

79 Kennebec Behavioral Health

80 United Way of Mid-Maine

81 Kennebec Savings Bank

82 Waterville Opera House

83 Windows Plus

84 BONNEY Staffing Center

85 Blind Time

86 Activity Maine Guide

87 EZ to use.com

88 A2Z Computing Services

89 Mid-Maine Marine

90 Kennebec Electric & Lighting

91 Steve’s Appliance & Furniture

92 Electricity Maine

93 Humane Society Waterville Area

94 United Insurance

95 Coldwell Banker Plourde Real Estate

96 Thomas College

97 B& B Embroidery

98 Assistance Plus

99 AAA Travel & Insurance

100 American Glass Company

101 Skowhegan Savings Bank

102 Are You Ready to Party?

103 Pete’s Pig Barbeque & Catering

104 The Snowman Group

105 Central Maine Motors

106 The Bank of Maine

107 Manpower

108 BNI & Elm City Referral Source

109 KeyBank

110 McCormack Building Supply

111 Sunset Home of Waterville

112 TD Bank

113 MK Orthodontics

114 KSW FCU

115 Main Security Surveillance

116

117

118

119

120

121

122 Little Pictures Of Maine

123 Woodfords Family Services

124

125

126

127

128 Hammond Lumber Co.

129 Good Will-Hinckley

130 Morning Sentinel

131 LNClark Inspiration Network

132

133

134

135

136

137

138

139

140

141

142

143 SCORE

144 Fireside Inn and Suites

145 Stained Glass Express

146 Best Western Plus Waterville

147 Hospice Volunteers

148

149

150

151

152 Inland Hospital

153 Somerset Stone & Stove

154

155

156

157

158

159 Sexual Assault Crisis & Support

Center 160

161

162 Home Energy Answers

163 Camden National Bank

164

165

166

167 Turner Publishing

168

169

170

1

MID-MAINE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE 50 Elm Street, Waterville, ME 04901

207-873-3315 www.midmainechamber.com

Where Does Your Chamber Stand on the Issues? 2014 Policy Positions

Mid-Maine Chamber of Commerce is dedicated and committed to promoting, educating and advocating for business prosperity and regional economic im-provement. Our mission involves advocating for public policy that will assist our region to prosper and grow. The Public Policy Committee has developed and implemented these policy positions for the Mid-Maine Chamber of Commerce with the endorsement of the Chamber’s Board of Directors.

The cost of health care remains at the top of the list of concerns to members of the Mid-Maine Chamber of Commerce. Our Chamber supports:

Federal initiatives to aid small businesses and their employees in obtaining affordable comprehen-sive coverage; federal support for healthcare information technology infrastructure; and, federal poli-cies that encourage providers to develop new healthcare delivery models that reduce costs and im-prove care.

Continue to support reforms like PL90 from the 125th legislature that encourage competition which lower health care costs.

Ensuring changes to our health care systems do not push more people to seek charity care and ulti-mately cause cost shifting and higher rates for private insurance coverage.

Continued support of Healthy Maine Partnership public health initiatives and their further integration with institutions throughout Maine, including our schools, corporate wellness programs and govern-ment agencies.

Aligning Maine’s health planning function with the goals of better health for our workers and more affordable health care.

Health care reforms that make the costs of health insurance more affordable for employers and their employees.

Health Care

2

Educational opportunity and achievement are essential to the region’s economic health and quality of life. Without an educated workforce and diligent efforts to develop the pipeline of workers that businesses need to compete globally, our competitiveness of quality workers will diminish. Our region struggles to replace the high rate of retiring workers with a qualified workforce needed, as our college students are leaving the State for higher paying jobs. To that end, the Chamber supports:

Better alignment of educational opportunities and private sector needs.

Improved access to higher education through financial aid and by expanding transfer agreements between the Maine Community College System and four-year institutions.

Regional control of a fair share of state and federal workforce development funds to offer educational programs that will train today’s workers and develop an economy that will attract skilled workers to central Maine.

The development of Charter Schools in Maine to ensure all children have a choice in specialized learning fields.

Expansion of early childhood education programs as a funding priority.

Education reforms that allow all our educational institutions to better meet the current and future needs of Maine workers and employers, while better utilizing existing resources and permitting reor-ganization strategies that serve the same goals.

Transportation

Transportation is a key component of economic growth, and as such the Chamber supports making invest-ments in our transportation infrastructure a priority. To that end, the Chamber supports:

Public transportation, such as bus systems, that serves the needs of the region’s population, young and old, enabling them to live, work and have access to our downtowns and other centers of com-

merce.

Development of regional airport and support of passenger and freight rail systems.

Satisfactorily maintain roads and bridges (infrastructure).

Policies that encourage public and private infrastructure investments in transportation that support

Telecommunications

Broadband capacity is now a critical component to economic development within the region. This technology holds the promise of eliminating geography as a concern with respect to our economic growth. Further, the industry mix here – research labs, factories, libraries, educational institutions and biomedical firms – is such that strong broadband connections are a necessity for the central Maine region to be successful. To that end, the Chamber supports:

Economic development strategies that target companies with a high demand for bandwidth and to bring technology firms to our region.

Public policies and investments that will allow for greater penetration of high-speed broadband in our market, especially ultra-high-speed connections used by technology companies.

Policies that encourage public and private infrastructure investments in telecommunications that support economic growth.

Education & Workforce Development

3

Energy

The Chamber endorses an energy policy that makes paramount the goal of lowering the cost of power and fuel, while pursuing strategic investments in alternative energy. The Chamber supports:

A focus on reducing the cost of electricity and energy ensuring Maine businesses can be more com-petitive.

Development of natural gas supplies and availability of natural gas to consumers, including large-scale energy users, in the Chamber’s membership region.

Regulatory reforms that lower transmission and delivery costs for business and encourages local distributive generation.

Research and development of sustainable alternative energy in transportation as a source of less-expensive energy for Maine

Continued energy conservation and efficiency techniques and strategies, including those of the Effi-ciency Maine Trust. To implement policies that encourages businesses to upgrade old, inefficient boiler systems to newer cost effective systems.

Energy policies that are designed to reduce the high costs of energy to all Maine residential and

Taxes

The tax burden on Maine businesses is too high, and the tax structure here discourages growth. The Cham-ber supports:

Taking no action that would increase property taxes.

The alignment of State of Maine’s conformity with federal tax laws.

A reduction of the overall tax burden for Maine businesses without cost shifting.

Continued scrutiny of state spending and the efficiency of government.

Lower taxes at every level of government in order to promote more retained earnings for workers, and more access to investment capital for entrepreneurs and employers of every size.

Regulatory Reform & Policy

Mid-Maine Chamber of Commerce supports state and regional policies designed to expand opportunity and prosperity to our region. Our Chamber supports:

Regulatory reforms that removes barriers to job growth and retention without compromising public health, environmental and consumer protections.

Policies/Regulations that support a reduction in cost of Workers’ Compensation Insurance

Government restructuring initiatives that improve the quality of public services and reduce taxpayer costs.

Government spending policies that permit individual incomes to grow faster than the rate of govern-ment spending growth.

4

Mid-Maine Chamber of Commerce 50 Elm Street Waterville, ME 04901

Contact Your Representatives

Regional State Representatives

Representative Henry Beck—District 76 PO Box 1723, Waterville, ME 04903 henry.beck@gmail.com 873-4343 Representative H. David Cotta—District 55 55 53rd Fire Rd, China, ME 04358 cotta@fairpoint.net 445-4067 Representative Lori Fowle—District 58 305 Taber Hill Rd, Vassalboro, ME 04989 lorifowlehouse58@gmail.com 872-7268 Representative Brian Jones—District 45 12 Burnham Hill Rd, Freedom, ME 04941 representativebrianjones@gmail.com 385-5226 Representative Dennis Keschl—District 83 1024 Wings Mills Rd, Belgrade, ME 04917 keschl@yahoo.com 495-2973 Representative Karen Kusiak—District 84 66 Bray Ave, Fairfield, ME 04937 karen.kusiak@colby.edu 453-6834 Representative Thomas Longstaff—District 77 39 Pleasant St, Waterville, ME 04901 thomas.longstaff@gmail.com 872-6617 Representative Catherine Nadeau—District 54 23 Patterson Ave, Winslow, ME 04901 nadeau1@roadrunner.com 873-2025 Representative Robert Nutting—District 78 PO Box 100, Oakland, ME 04963 bob@bobnutting.com 465-7139 Representative Stanley Short—District 29 PO Box 103, Pittsfield, ME 04967 repstanley.short@legislature.maine.gov 487-4944

Regional State Senators

Senator Roger Katz—District 24 3 Westview St, Augusta, ME 04330 rkatz@lipmankatzmckee.com 485-2394 Senator Colleen Lachowicz—District 25 1 Kelsey St #2, Waterville, ME 04901 colleenforsenate@gmail.com 692-7143 Senator Thomas Saviello—District 18 60 Applegate Ln, Wilton, ME 04294 drtom16@hotmail.com 645-3420 Senator Michael Thibodeau—District 23 169 Coles Corner Rd, Winterport, ME 04496 senatorthibodeau@aol.com 223-5177 Senator Rodney Whittemore—District 26 PO Box 96, Skowhegan, ME 04976 rodwhittemore@gmail.com 474-6703

U.S. Congressional Delegation

Senator Susan Collins—statewide

622-8414

www.collins.senate.gov

Senator Angus King—statewide

622-8292

www.king.senate.gov

Congresswoman Chellie Pingree—1st District

774-5019

www.pingree.house.gov

Congressman Michael Michaud—2nd District

942-6935

www.michaud.house.gov

2014 Board

of Directors

Brad Fisher, Chair*

New Dimensions Federal Credit Union

Jeff Corey, 1st Vice Chair*

Day’s Jewelers

David Roy, 2nd Vice Chair*

Kennebec Savings Bank

Bruce Harrington, Director-at-Large*

Skowhegan Savings Bank

Nicole Desjardins, Past Chair*

Hampton Inn

Gary Zemrak, Treasurer*

Johnny’s Selected Seeds

Kimberly Lindlof, President & CEO*

Mid-Maine Chamber of Commerce

Dan Bickford

Eagle Rental

Mike Fortin

Fortin’s Home Furnishings

Sara Dyer

Inland Hospital

Joe Karter

Jokas’ Discount Beverages

Gary Levesque

New York Life Insurance

Darlene Ratte

Best Western Plus

Renee Hawthorne

Skowhegan Savings Bank

Darryl Sterling

Central Maine Growth Council

Tonya Clark

T-Mobile

Ken Hoehlein

FairPoint Communications

Kelly Winslow

Bangor Savings Bank

Mary Carpinito

Amici’s Cucina

Scott Bullock

MaineGeneral

Beth Gibbs

Thomas College

*denotes member of Executive Committee

PRE-SORTED STANDARD

U.S. POSTAGE

PAID

PERMIT #146

Waterville, ME 04901