Mainebiz

V O L . X X V I I N O. V I I I A P R I L 1 9 , 2 0 2 1 12 B U S I N E S S M A I N E B U S I N E S S M A I N E B U S I N E S S N E W S F RO M A RO U N D T H E S TAT E N O T E W O R T H Y C E N T R A L & W E S T E R N Kennebec Water District, the pub- lic water supplier for the greater Waterville region, launched an on- line customer portal allowing con- sumers to pay water bills, receive usage and billing notifications, track water consumption trends and consolidate multiple accounts in one location. The Boys & Girls Clubs of the Kennebec Valley received a $500,000 commitment from Gardiner City Council to move $650,000 away from its capital campaign goal of raising $10 million for a new building. The club launched a "Why I love my club" community fundraising campaign in an effort to reach its goal. Good Shepherd Food Bank in Auburn said it received a $75,000 donation from Kennebec Savings Bank to support its 40 partners based in Kennebec County and Freeport area communities. Waterville Rotary Club awarded a total of $15,534 in grants to eight community nonprofits to address food insecurity. Consumers for Affordable Health Care moved its office to 108 Sewall St. in Augusta. Back In Motion Physical Therapy opened at 600 Turner St., Suite 2A, in Auburn. Children's Center, an early child- hood intervention and family support services organization for children with special needs, said Kennebec Savings Bank, G&E Roofing and David and Kay Flanagan each do- nated $250,000 to the center's fun- draising efforts to expand its primary location in Augusta. BIW plans to hire 2,000, step up production Bath Iron Works celebrated the keel laying of the future USS Harvey C. Barnum Jr. destroyer and hosted Acting Secretary of the Navy omas Harker and Maine's congressional delegation for an update on production sched- ules and tour of manufacturing and training facilities. ey were updated on efforts by the ship- yard to increase production after a year marked by the pandemic and a prolonged labor strike. BIW has committed to the Navy it will be at a pace to deliver 1.8 ships per year by the end of 2021, and two ships per year by next year. at would put BIW, which has 12 ships to deliver in six years, back on schedule. BIW employs 6,900 workers and has plans to hire 2,000 employees this year. So far, it's hired roughly 500 of those. Last year, BIW suffered a 10-week strike by its largest union amid dis- agreements between the company and union over subcontracting and seniority. ey reached a deal in August. During negotiations before the strike, BIW cited its production backlog as one reason it lost a $5.5 billion contract to build Navy frigates. at contract went to Fincantieri Shipbuilding in Wisconsin. Offshore wind seen as construction boon e addition of offshore wind turbines in the Gulf of Maine could create hundreds of union construction jobs, according to a memorandum of understanding from New England Aqua Ventus LLC, a consortium, and the Maine Building and Construction Trades Council. NEAV is developing an offshore wind demonstration proj- ect near Monhegan with floating platform technology developed by the University of Maine. NEAV is a partnership between UMaine, Diamond Offshore Wind and RWE Renewables. NEAV and the Trades Council agreed to work together to develop training and workforce development programs. e goal is to provide hundreds of union con- struction jobs. NEAV also said it was committed to building a supply chain in Maine for offshore wind and maximizing the involvement of Maine-based organizations in all aspects of the project. N O T E W O R T H Y M I D C O A S T & D O W N E A S T The Maine Community Foundation in Ellsworth awarded a total of $20,702 to 10 Maine nonprofit organizations and municipalities through its Lifelong SMALL BUSINESSES ACROSS THE STATE ARE SAVING ON LIGHTING COSTS BY SWITCHING TO LEDS. EFFICIENCYMAINE.COM 866-376-2463 ENHANCED INCENTIVES AVAILABLE FOR HIGH-EFFICIENCY PROJECTS IN MAINE'S HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY: • Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) • LED lighting • Refrigeration projects FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THIS FUNDING OPPORTUNITY NOTICE AT EFFICIENCYMAINE.COM/AT-WORK/HOSPITALITY M I D C O A S T & D O W N E A S T

• Cover