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W W W. M A I N E B I Z . B I Z 13 D E C E M B E R 1 2 , 2 0 2 2 M A N U FA C T U R I N G Tanbark's startup 'wow' power It's not just larger or established manufacturers who are in hiring mode. One newcomer is Tanbark Molded Fiber Products, a seven-employee sustainable packaging startup gearing up to launch production out of a 10,000-square-foot facility in Saco in the first quar- ter of 2023. e company aims to offer a custom, sustainable alternative to rigid, single-use plastic and Styrofoam for mid- to high-end food, beauty and consumer packaged goods. e factory is currently in the process of being outfitted. "We're building the machines and equip- ment right now," says Melissa LaCasse, Tanbark's co-founder and CEO, who's been running the com- pany from a North Yarmouth office on the upper floor of a barn. After winning the Gorham Savings Bank LaunchPad business-pitch competition in June, the company used its $50,000 prize money to pay free- lance industrial designers with the goal of eventu- ally bringing someone on full-time. Tanbark, now at more than seven employees, aims to create 50 manufacturing jobs over the next three years, using Maine wood bark and Maine labor "to fill a manufacturing void and transform an industry," LaCasse said in her winning pitch. She says the company has budgeted conserva- tively from the start, and that she's been "pleas- antly surprised" at the number and quality of job applications so far. In one advertisement, for a full-time machine operator, Tanbark touts its mission of helping provide alternatives to plastic packaging. LaCasse says she has the sense that being a startup boosts the company's appeal with potential applicants. "We're new and growing, so we're tending to attract people who are attracted to the idea," she says. LaCasse also says that while she doesn't think that's the only wow factor for job candidates, many view the company's climate focus as a big plus. "e fact that we're offering a solution for plastic replacement has excited some people, too," she says. Being a smaller player also takes some of the pres- sure off, she says. "Given the drumbeat of gloom, I think if I had to employ 100 people I'd feel a lot differently," she says. at's not to say it's been all smooth sailing on the hiring front. For example, "we offered a job to someone who ended up saying 'yes' verbally, and they never signed the offer," LaCasse recalls. "We've had a couple of bumps." Back at Franklin Printing in western Maine, Nemi predicts continued growth in 2023 amid plans to hire between three and five people in various areas. "As our workforce continues to age, we'll be looking to train new or existing employees to ensure we have adequate capacity in all areas of our business," he says. at's a tall order for the diversified commercial printer whose work includes trail maps for the Sugarloaf and Sunday ski areas. Like a steep snow mountain, hiring looks to be an uphill battle for some time. Renee Cordes, Mainebiz senior writer, can be reached a t r c o r d e s @ m a i n e b i z . b i z a n d @ r s c o r d e s Atlantic Sea Farms needed more space to accommodate growing kelp harvests. But the pandemic restaurant shut-down had reduced revenues. That's when they called Maine MEP. We helped the innovative company design an efficient new facility —21,000 feet bigger than their former building—that can process exponentially more farmed kelp while keeping down costs. President and CEO Briana Warner says, "We have benefited tremendously from working with Maine MEP as we scaled up capacity. It's a trusted and valued resource for our business." We can help your manufacturing business scale up or design a new facility, too. Connect with us today for a no-cost on-site assessment! 1-800-MEP-4MFG / contact@mainemep.org / mainemep.org Melissa LaCasse, CEO of Tanbark Molded Fiber Products, says she has been pleasantly surprised by the number and quality of job applicants so far. F O C U S P H O T O / J I M N E U G E R

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