Mainebiz Special Editions

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 P R I L 2 9 , 2 0 1 9 Be ready. BE SHUR. bernsteinshur.com When you need outside legal counsel that feels like par t of your team. From the Editor From the Publisher I t's fitting that in the same stretch the Mainebiz staff was putting this 25 th anni- versary issue together, we were also launch- ing a new website. In looking at 25 trends that have shaped the past quarter century, we dug through the dusty bound copies of Mainebiz. Many of the same themes came up again and again: Maine's aging population, the workforce shortage and the need for reliable internet. Some stories gave us a laugh. An early issue had a lively debate about the future of the internet, with one person flatly stating that it would, in effect, blow over. ere were ads for deals on fax machines. ere were columns offering advice on how to make the transition to the 486 operating system. ere are a number of business leaders we write about today that have been with us since the beginning. In those days it was a lot more common to wear a tie, though "fair isle" sweat- ers seemed popular as well. Everyone seemed to have a lot more hair. Fred Forsley, who founded Shipyard Brewing Co. the same year Mainebiz started publishing, was profiled in our first issue. He's featured again in these pages, with Senior Writer Renee Cordes talking with him for our On the Record (see Page 74). ere were also many, many business people who have moved on, it seems. It was a helpful reminder that things do constantly change, even in Maine. Most of the out-of-state banks have changed hands, though many of the Maine- based banks are still trading under the same name and are a lot larger. As much as it's been fun to look back, we are very much looking ahead. With the new website, we also join much of the rest of the media industry in institut- ing a subscriber pay wall. While print was everything in 1994, today it is just part of what we produce. Between our Daily Report and two Real Estate Insiders, we produce nearly 40 digital stories a week. Events have also become part of our con- tent, with thought-leaders being brought together in front of a live audience. rough the changes, we offer our appreciation to our readers, advertisers and sponsors. Peter Van Allen pvanallen@mainebiz.biz W hen you reach a milestone like a 25th anniversary you tend to reflect on the changes that you have managed through, and about how we do business today is different from 25 years ago. I remember that my first "act" as publisher of Mainebiz 20 years ago was to purchase a plain paper fax machine. It seemed like a radical and major upgrade at the time. Mainebiz began as a startup with three employees producing a monthly print maga- zine for the greater Portland area. Over time, Mainebiz expanded its reach, its frequency and added more products to serve the business community. Today, with 14 employ- ees, Mainebiz publishes a bi-weekly business journal, four annual publications, three enewsletters. We produce 14 events. And we have just launched a new web- site for the entire Maine business community. Our business, and how we do business, has changed dramatically over the past 25 years. But the essentials have not changed. Our mission, to help businesses be successful by providing news, analysis and information, has not wavered. e entrepreneurial spirit that founded Mainebiz keeps us nimble and able to respond to change. In fact, every change in technology that we have experienced has improved our ability to inform, engage and connect. In 1999, when I agreed to come to Maine and to Mainebiz, some people were concerned. "Is there enough business going on in Maine to sustain a business media company?" they asked. I got unsolicited advice: "Nothing happens north of Augusta, don't waste your time there." When Mainebiz won national awards for journalism and design excellence, people were surprised and asked, "Who? Where? Maine?" ese well-meaning people were speaking from ignorance. We Mainers know that Maine has a vibrant and diverse business community throughout the state. I'm proud that Mainebiz has done an outstanding job telling Maine's business stories with excellent writing, photography and design. We cover all business — from the traditional industries like manufacturing, agriculture, hospitality and boat building, to biotech, engineering and startups. Commercial development, health care and infrastructure construction all contribute to Maine's economy and Mainebiz is here to report the news in print and online. As a team, Mainebiz is committed to continue our mission, as we have through all the changes the past 25 years have brought. As we move into the future, where more change is inevitable, our essential mission and commit- ment to excellence will never change. We appreciate the support of Maine's business community, our advertisers and our readers. We would not be Mainebiz without you. Happy 25th anniver- sary to us all! Donna Brassard dbrassard@mainebiz.biz After 25 years, we look back, but stay focused on future In 25 years, the essentials at Mainebiz haven't changed In looking at 25 trends that have shaped the past 25 years, we dug through the dusty bound copies of Mainebiz. P H O T O I L L U S T R AT I O N / M AT T S E LVA M AI NEBI Z 2 5 TH ANNI VER S AR Y I S S U E S PONS OR ED BY $19.95 April 29, 2019 VO L . X X V N O. I X www.mainebiz.biz We look at 25 business trends since 1994 T U R N S 25 S TA R T S O N PA G E 2 4

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