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W W W. M A I N E B I Z . B I Z 9 M A R C H 2 3 , 2 0 2 0 Meet Our Attorneys Jeff Spaulding Jeff specializes in startups and emerging companies in growth sectors, advising them on angel/venture capital �nancings, securities offerings, strategic partnerships, and mergers and acquisitions. Jeff also works with investors and investment funds on fund formation/operation, regulatory compliance, and investments. Jeff chairs the Eaton Peabody startup program – an initiative through which we allow se select emerging companies with signi�cant growth potential to defer limited fees until a debt or equity �nancing or similar event. Jeff currently has one of the largest emerging company practices in Maine. 1-800-564-0111 | eatonpeabody.com Augusta | Bangor | Brunswick | Ellsworth | Portland Hussey Seating will tackle $25M in stadium seating upgrades B y L a u r i e S c h r e i b e r Hussey Seating has been awarded over $25 million in major renovation work so far in 2020. The North Berwick company will be outfitting some of the nation's biggest sports venues over the next 24 months, including Talking Stick Arena (Phoenix Suns), Bankers Life Fieldhouse (Indiana Pacers), PNC Park (Pittsburgh Pirates) and the Alamodome (hosting the 2021 Women's NCAA Final Four in San Antonio), the company said. Several of the projects are replacement orders, since most of the stadiums or arenas have already had Hussey Seating equipment in place, some for more than 20 years. The contracts come on top of major projects already completed in 2019 at the United Center (Chicago Bulls and Blackhawks) and the Enterprise Center (St. Louis Blues). In 2019, Hussey Seating completed construction of a seating system at the United Center in Chicago, home of the Chicago Bulls and Blackhawks. "We are excited by every contract we are awarded, but it's truly a point of great pride for us when an operations director, who has retracted our telescopic systems thousands of times over decades to reconfigure their facilities, chooses our product again," said Gary Merrill, Hussey's president and CEO. The contracts for 2020 represent more than 100% growth for Hussey in the professional sports venues market alone, a small but impor- tant segment of the company's business, Sean O'Leary, vice president of sales and marketing, told Mainebiz. "Each project has a contract value between $5 million and $15 million," he added. With regard to the older seating system, both seating and the markets have changed signifi- cantly over the past two decades, explained O'Leary. "These venues are dedicated to maximizing both the fan experience and the number of events they can host per year," he said. "Twenty years ago, a venue changeover from hockey to basketball might take eight hours. With our technology and engineer- ing, we see these reduce to two to four hours, which allows these venues to expand not only the number of events they host per year but the type of events they host as well." The selection process has also changed dramati- cally, he said: "Today, we can use 3D configurators and Revit drawings, so venue owners can actually see a nearly perfect representation of how their venue will look long before any seat is installed." Headquartered in North Berwick, Hussey acquired a 45,000-square-foot industrial building at 90 Community Drive in Sanford in 2019 as part of a multi-year, $8.2 million project to enhance its manu- facturing capabilities. Overall, the company manufactures seating sys- tems for applications ranging from school gymnasiums to college and professional sports stadiums to arenas, convention centers and performing arts auditoriums. Its largest project comprised 120,000 seats for fixed systems at Arrowhead Stadium, home of the Kansas City Chiefs, and, next door, Kauffman Stadium, home of the Kansas City Royals. The family-owned business is celebrating its 185th anniversary this year. B R I E F P H O T O / T I M G R E E N WAY Hussey Seating has Hussey Seating has been awarded over been awarded over $25 million in major $25 million in major renovation work so far renovation work so far in 2020. Gary Merrill, in 2020. Gary Merrill, Hussey's president Hussey's president and CEO, is seen here and CEO, is seen here at the company's at the company's North Berwick factory. North Berwick factory.

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