Mainebiz Special Editions

V O L . X X V I I I N O. X I I I § 2 J U N E 2 7 , 2 0 2 2 16 F O C U S Deri says Maine could still benefit by having a large-scale 3D metal printer, an item that could cost $500,000 to $1 million. But an even more pressing need for bluShift is a place to launch the rockets. Jonesport shot down his proposal to launch rockets there. He's in talks with Steuben, on the Downeast coast, and sent out a request for informa- tion with the idea that towns that are open to the aerospace industry might reach out. An engineer's nomadic journey Ryan Beaumont is a University of Maine-trained engineer and inventor who has designed and built a range of engineering marvels. But when it comes to workspace, he's been able to set up shop in a wide range of places, often dictated by the physical size of the products he's engineering. He's developed large-scale mechanical systems, like produc- tion machinery for a paper mill and electrical-and-control systems for a tidal energy project. He's also been the principal investigator for the R&D and tech transfer for a walk- ing bike and recreation aid for people with balance impairment. In short, he's worked on large- scale systems and smaller products — all of which have had different space needs. As a result, Beaumont has adapted a flexible approach to his workspace needs. In college, he had access to UMaine's Foster Innovation Center, which is outfitted with everything from advanced computer programs and CNC machines to workbench space and basic tools. But in recent years, his work is where the workbench is. "I was in Fort Andross in Brunswick. ey have units with carpenters, musicians and restaurants. ere's always space available," he says. "What I really needed was space to lay these things out. I needed rack space, bench space, space to layout and do shipping and receiving." He then worked out of Tech Place on Brunswick Landing. "at was the right spot for me at the time," he says, adding that he started working with a manufactur- ing partner, eliminating the need for larger space. e manufacturing partner, Alexander's Mechanical Solutions in Bangor, is a full-service job shop, doing everything from machining to welding. With manufacturing being done at a different site, Beaumont, who owns the startup R.M. Beaumont Corp., moved operations back to his Topsham home, outfitting his garage as a workspace for smaller prototypes. "e journey took me back to the garage," he says. Maine Crisp's big move Maine Crisp Co. is, with help from Sheridan Construction, in the process of fitting out 17,500 square feet of dedicated space in Winslow. It's a $2.4 million fit-out. e company, which produces gluten free chips and was founded by Karen Getz in 2014, has recently been in 1,500-square-feet at Railroad Square in Waterville. But for a number of years Getz was producing Maine Crisp products from her home kitchen — which created some interesting challenges, as she relates. "To start, I had to get the kitchen inspected and certified. As a gluten-free product, we no longer allowed anyone to bring gluten products into our home. As the company grew, I took over most of the kitchen with my ingredi- ents, sheet pans, mixer, slicer and convection oven. It was a constant battle to keep humidity levels down for the crisps," she says. "We have a back sunroom that stored all of the packaging and cardboard plus a table for packag- ing crisps. e foyer became the storage area for bulk ordering of ingredients and UPS would pick up daily from the front porch. Oh and an office upstairs!" Even the move into Railroad Square represented a big upgrade. "I baked from home for two years until the Railroad Square space opened up. It was great at first, I barely made a dent in the amount of space, which is about 1,500 square feet. Now we rent additional space down the hall and turned a large room into a cooler room for ingredients. e new space in Winslow is looking great at 17,500 square feet and we expect to move in late July or early August." P e t e r V a n A l l e n , M a i n e b i z e d i t o r, c a n b e r e a c h e d a t p v a n a l l e n @ m a i n e b i z . b i z a n d @ M a i n e b i z E d i t o r S TA R T U P S — P H Y S I C A L R E S O U R C E S » C O N T I N U E D F RO M P R E V I O U S PA G E P H O T O / T I M G R E E N WAY Engineer Ryan Beaumont, owner of R.M. Beaumont Corp.,has had a nomadic journey from UMaine's Foster Innovation Center, to Fort Andross to TechPlace. But now that he has found a manufacturing partner, he has moved his research and design into his garage. Sascha Deri, founder of bluShift Aerospace, in front of a building where the rocket maker got its start. BluShift has since moved nearby, to 2 Pegasus St. at Brunswick Landing P H O T O / F R E D F I E L D What I really needed was space to lay these things out. I needed rack space, bench space, space to layout and do shipping and receiving. — Ryan Beaumont R.M. Beaumont Corp.

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