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 S E P T E M B E R 3 , 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 Aug. 13–27. 1. Here are the companies named 'Best Places to Work in Maine' 2. With its paper mill long gone, Millinocket has a new story to tell 3. Farewell to a journalist with integrity and heart: Chris Cousins 4. University of Southern Maine ponders changing its name 5. Maine's largest open-air mall seeks change to allow more uses 6. Thos. Moser hires former L.L. Bean executive to increase sales 7. Downtown Augusta project said to be one of first under Opportunity Zone program 8. Get your long johns ready, says 2019 Farmers' Almanac 9. Maine's 10 Inc. 5000's companies rise to top of 'job creators' list 10. Court rules Ocean State Job Lot can stay in Falmouth Shopping Center 1 From the Editor W e all have our own mental image of a "startup." Whether the idea is formed by pitch competitions like Greenlight Maine or Top Gun, the Wall Street Journal or Inc. magazine or Guy Raz's "How I Built is," where the startups always seem to be valued at hundreds of millions of dollars before any of us have heard of them. In this issue, Mainebiz offers up a range of startups. Some are tech companies, though many are not. Some are started by serial entrepreneurs, though many are not. Some seem like everyday items, though creatively positioned to fill a niche — the kind of products where you think, "Why didn't I think of that?" Renee Cordes' cover story, "10 Maine start- ups to keep an eye on," has a good cross section of these companies. But don't overlook Laurie Schreiber's story about an Ellsworth incubator space or Renee's On the Record with an entre- preneurial lawyer. Some of the stories might redefine how you think of startups. Peter Van Allen pvanallen@mainebiz.biz I could not agree more with a letter you published recently from omas Harmon (See Letter to the Editor, Aug. 20 issue) that talked about the critical role the University of Southern Maine must play in work- force development for our region and the state. In fact, there is no higher priority for USM than working closely with Maine employers to ensure we are preparing our graduates for the jobs that are critical to their workplace growth. And in doing so we also ensure that our graduates can find good- paying jobs right here in Maine. Our "USM Works for ME" initiative, our Career & Employment Hub, our plans for a new Graduate Center for Professional Studies that brings together and creates synergies between the University of Maine School of Law, a new MBA program and the Muskie School for Public Service, are just a few examples of our commitment to workforce development. Moreover, we have recently worked closely with Maine's other public universities, both parties of the state Legislature and Gov. Paul LePage to place on the Nov. 6 ballot a critically important bond measure that would invest in university workplace development initiatives and related infrastructure improvements across Maine. If this bond measure, Question 4, passes, USM will be investing in its nursing, engineering, com- puter science programs, as well as in a Career and Student Success Center designed to meet employer and student needs. ese are all projects essential to our state's economic growth. While our planned USM Center for the Arts, which Mr. Harmon raises, is not a workforce develop- ment initiative, it certainly meets another important student and community need here in greater Portland. With the momentum and growth we are experiencing at USM, we are confident we can do both. "A refocused, rebuilt, expanded USM campus in Portland is crucial for USM's future," closes omas Harmon's letter. I'll end mine with the very same statement. Bob Stein Executive Director of Public Affairs University of Southern Maine To the Editor bernsteinshur.com Be smart. BE SHUR. When you need a lawyer who thinks like an executive and speaks like a human. Maine's startup landscape: Bug sprays, potato trackers, elder care 2018

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