Mainebiz

V I E W P O I N T S W W W. M A I N E B I Z . B I Z 3 A U G U S T 2 0 , 2 0 1 8 Featured @ Mainebiz.biz For a daily digest of Maine's top business news, sign up for the Mainebiz Daily Report at mainebiz.biz/enews Get Maine's business news daily at mainebiz.biz and on Twitter (@Mainebiz). Below is our top content from the weeks between July 30–Aug. 13. 1. IDEXX sues Vets First Choice, two former employees, over alleged 'misappropriation' of trade secrets 2. Bon Appetit salutes Portland as top food city in the U.S. 3. WEX in hiring mode as it posts double-digit Q2 revenue gain 4. Facebook poll highlights pro-and-con views surrounding $40M Saco Island project 5. Women to Watch: Dava Davin, Portside Real Estate Group 6. Women to Watch: We profile four remarkable female executives 7. Jeanne Hulit picked to lead Maine Community Bancorp 8. Livermore's Berry Fruit Farm opening Livermore Falls store 9. New South Portland hotel is all about sustainability, owner says 10. Two new Portland restaurants are in the running for Bon Appetit's 'best' P H O T O / T I M G R E E N WAY 1 Be smart. BE SHUR. bernsteinshur.com When you need someone committed to raising the bar, not just passing it. From the Editor To the Editor T his issue of the Bangor and Northern Maine focus looks at a region that's undergoing major changes. Anyone visiting Bangor, as I did recently, would be heartened to see the major new headquarters of Bangor Savings Bank — an institution that has aggressively expanded in southern Maine and New Hampshire but has invested heavily in its home city. It's a signal of confidence in the economy and the city that one hopes will spread to other businesses. See Page 20 for more on Bangor. Our reporters reported on other changes coming about in northern Maine. Maureen Milliken writes about Millinocket's decade-long transition since the closure of the Greater Northern Paper Co. paper mill. See Page 14. Laurie Schreiber vis- ited Limestone's Loring Commerce Centre to see the reinvention of former Loring Air Force Base, which closed in 1994 and is now an industrial and business park. See Page 12. Renee Cordes addresses the need for nurses in northern Maine and looks at how three college campuses are responding. See Page 18. Peter Van Allen pvanallen@mainebiz.biz In the Women to Watch 10th Anniversary issue of Aug. 6, Lois Skillings should have been identified as president and CEO of Mid Coast–Parkview Health (not Parkview Health). Correction Adaptation goes with the territory I have been a reader of Mainebiz for several years and enjoy the publication a great deal. I have a startup business in Scarborough and commute between Manhattan for other income, to sustain this ven- ture. I grew up in the Portland area and attended University of Southern Maine for two years before transferring to a more notable school in Boston. e article about the new arts center at USM is troubling. e $50 million-plus dollar price tag is steep, but not as troubling as the focus, the arts, though that is my primary profession. Not long ago, both the CEOs of WEX and IDEXX were on record saying it is difficult to find qualified people in Maine to hire. It was also stated that a graduate school for business is sorely needed. Since the biotech industry is rapidly expanding in Boston, and numerous Chinese big pharma com- panies are locating satellite offices there, another important focus for USM should be graduates for this field in addition to business. USM is a highly important institution for south- ern Maine and it is grossly failing before our eyes. An arts center is not the answer. e future of Maine business, without strong academic institutions at the base or core, is significantly hampered. Boston is thriving because companies can pull the best interns and graduates from a few subway stops away. I enjoy and love Maine and wish that I could live in Portland full-time, but business opportunities for me pale in comparison to other metropolitan areas such as Boston and New York. A refocused, rebuilt, expanded USM campus in Portland is crucial for Portland's future. omas Harmon MH Beverages, Scarborough www.motionhero.com

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