Mainebiz

V O L . X X V I N O. I JA N UA R Y 1 3 , 2 0 2 0 14 2 0 2 0 E C O N O M I C F O R E C A S T F O C U S H O S P I TA L I T Y Hospitality industry keeps focus on new workforce initiatives B y M a u r e e n M i l l i k e n W hen Steve Hewins became executive director of newly formed HospitalityME a little over a year ago, the mission was clear — advocate for the state's restaurant and lodging industry, grow the workforce and educate the pub- lic on what the industry does. As 2020 begins, Hewins says inroads have been made, but those goals are still at the forefront, and leading them all is strengthening the workforce. "When I first came here, one of the first conversations I had was about the workforce and what we're going to do about it," he says. Since then, workforce challenges have "become a crisis," but efforts to tackle them have risen to meet the challenge. e state's restaurant and lodging associations merged in 2018 to form HospitalityME, which represents more than 1,000 members in the industry. Hewins, in a recent interview with Mainebiz, says the merger brought a more dedi- cated focus, making it easier to create initiatives and to advocate at the State House for issues that involve both arms of the state's hospitality industry. He says the most important aspect of the merger was to bring focus to the lodg- ing and restaurant sectors, carving them out of the bigger tourism industry. "We're no longer fragmented, and have the opportunity to build this industry into a powerful one," he says. e consolidated approach has already helped create new workforce initiatives, including creating a director of workforce development position, held by Terry Hayes. e organization has also bolstered the apprenticeship program with help from a Maine Quality Centers grant that will provide free school credits for those in the program and a first-ever partnership with the state Department of Corrections. Workforce initiatives will stay at the forefront in the coming year. One focus will be on helping new Americans overcome the language bar- rier with an "English for hospitality" program. "Just so they can learn the vernacular," Hewins says. "When someone says, 'Can you prepare rooms 220 to 230?' they can know what that means. "We could employ every single immigrant in Maine, but language is what holds them back," he says. "If we could get the language barrier covered, we'd go a long way to helping strengthen our workforce." Introducing culinary careers to elementary and middle-school students is another goal. HospitalityME's education foundation is being formed to work exclusively on education and grant applications. "Generally speaking, there's a lack of understanding about the opportuni- ties that exist in the industry, so we want to do that outreach," he says. HospitalityME released a study in November that not only highlighted the $6.9 billion economic impact the industry has on the state, but also the range of jobs available. He says if the industry can make workforce inroads in 2020, "we'll have started a dedicated supply chain that will last forever." » C O N T I N U E D F RO M P R E V I O U S PA G E C O N T I N U E D O N PA G E 1 6 » B O AT B U I L D I N G Optimism mixed with a push for diversified revenue B y P e t e r V a n A l l e n J B Turner is president and general manager of Front Street Shipyard in Belfast. Front Street builds, retrofits, restores, maintains and stores boats — from smaller recreational craft to commercial vessels to "super- yachts." It continues to grow on the Belfast waterfront. Turner, a Connecticut native who has a broad range of experi- ence at larger boatbuilders and boatyards, says Maine continues to attract customers based on its reputation — particularly among owners of boats in the 20- to 60-foot range. "Maine is still consid- ered one of the world lead- ers for quality in the world of boatbuilding, only rivaled by the Dutch and they do it on a much bigger scale," Turner says. "And that thinking and belief system transcends into all aspects of the boating world. Often that is what makes it 'worth it' for people to make the trek to Maine to have work done." He sees continued growth in boatbuilding, service and repair. "We certainly see people already planning big projects for 2020 and feel that will continue as the economy churns along," he says. Front Street is working on a new 42-foot boat for the Navy "with more potential projects of that ilk coming this summer," Turner says. It is also developing its composite technology used in construction of passenger ferries. Front Street has developed a relationship with the Norwegian company Brodrene AA, which builds high-speed ferries that have become popular in the Asian market. "ey have been building carbon-fiber fast ferries throughout Europe and now into China for 20 years. We have partnered with them to bring that technology and design into America and while it has been slow to be accepted, we feel we are closing in on the first order," Turner says. On the down side, concerns over the future of the lobster industry may have had an impact on orders, "so the lobstering community seems to be paus- ing or slowing on new builds but it does still continue — just not at the break- neck pace of 2017-19," Turner says. On the hiring front, the Belfast firm will likely hire workers for composite, mechanical and carpentry departments. "e labor market for good, skilled workers is tight," Turner says. "One incen- tive that we have on our side is that the work is often more challenging in the boating world. System integration is more complex on boats than in, say housing. Carpenters [in boatbuilding] never get to work in a world that is plumb or square — everything is a compound problem. So, we find that we are able to attract people which like to be challenged and that brings good people." We certainly see people already planning big projects for 2020 and feel that will continue as the economy churns along. — JB Turner Front Street Shipyard We're no longer fragmented, and have the opportunity to build this industry to a powerful one. — Steve Hewins HospitalityME F I L E P H O T O / T E D A X E L RO D JB Turner, president and general manager of Front Street Shipyard in Belfast, says customers continue to plan big projects, but he's seeing a pullback among lobster fishermen. P H O T O / T I M G R E E N WAY Steve Hewins, as executive director of HospitalityME, said the mission is clear: advocate for the state's restaurant and lodging industry, improve the workforce and educate the public on what the industry does.

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