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W W W. M A I N E B I Z . B I Z F O C U S L I F E S C I E N C E S / I N N OVAT I O N COO. "We put multiple vessels in the water, operated them in real condi- tions, and proved that the technology works outside of the laboratory." Maine boatbuilders are "con- strained by long lead times for tooling, skilled labor shortages, rising mate- rial costs and unpredictable supply chains," says Gifford. "We aim to overcome these challenges through our advanced manufacturing technol- ogy workflow and deliver high quality tooling in half the time." Peter Drown, Evergreen's CFO, said the company has been engag- ing with boatbuilders along the East Coast. e primary focus is on those in Maine. e team attended the Miami International Boat Show in February to network with boat- builders and clearly understand the demand signals. "We've been spreading the word and advertising our capabilities," said Drown. "We also have a defense focus, working with our partners at the Defense Department." Evergreen says it maintains a close partnership with the University of Maine, including the Advanced Structures and Composites Center where the co-founders met. ey plan to work collaboratively with the University on workforce develop- ment needs in Maine and to pursue joint projects that advance the state of advanced manufacturing. Alternative to steel ReForm Composites Inc. was founded in fall 2024 to build on research and engineering developed at UMaine's Advanced Structures and Composites Center to advance indus- trial production rates of a class of high-performance structural compos- ite materials called "continuous fiber reinforced thermoplastic." e product can be reheated, reshaped, welded and recycled while carrying structural loads, and offers an alternative to steel, aluminum and traditional composites in demand- ing structural applications, says Cody Sheltra, ReForm's founder and CEO. e startup was recently selected as one of 20 global finalists in the Paris- based JEC World Startup Booster, an international competition recognizing emerging innovation in the compos- ites industry. "Much of the next generation work in advanced composites has historically taken place in Europe, so as a group that grew up in Maine, we're especially proud to help put the U.S. on the map through our home state," Sheltra says. 'Continuous forming' Although the material class has existed for decades, manufacturing economics have limited its use in markets where cost sensitivity is critical, he says. To address that gap, ReForm is advancing a patented high output "continuous forming" system for con- struction, infrastructure and industrial applications. e process enables the high-output formation of complex shapes at industrial scale. Concrete flatwork ReForm's first commercial product, PolyDowel, was made for concrete flat- work such as sidewalks and industrial flooring. PolyDowel is engineered to perform the same function as traditional steel plate dowels used by the concrete industry, but weighs roughly one-fifth as much and eliminates corrosion. A Fortune 50 firm installed PolyDowel at its property as a dem- onstrator project. A public space in Port St. Lucie, Fla., called Heart in the Park, also used PolyDowel. Recently debuted at the World of Concrete trade show in Las Vegas, PolyDowel represents ReForm's first real-world deployment of continu- ous fiber reinforced thermoplastic in concrete applications. "It's a big deal," says Sheltra. "CFRTP isn't new, but it's new to construction because it's been expen- sive. Over the past couple of decades, various companies have driven the price down." With a background in compos- ite mechanics and manufacturing systems, Sheltra played a key role in advancing continuous forming tech- nology from early concept to a scal- able manufacturing platform support- ing real-world deployment. Sheltra began his career in com- posites 15 years ago at UMaine's Advanced Structures and Composites Center where, as part of a research program, he led development of the continuous forming process initially for field-bendable composite rebar. Commercialization With a goal to commercialize, Sheltra was mentored through UMaine' s Office of Strategic Partnerships, Innovation, Resources and Engagement, or SPIRE, whose programs are designed to move university research into real-world use. rough SPIRE-supported mar- ket research and customer discovery, it became apparent there was a demand for the new manufacturing process. "It became clear there was mean- ingful market potential," says Sheltra. Relationships "ReForm Composites is a new spinoff company from the Advanced Structures and Composites Center at UMaine," says Dagher. "e start-up company licensed the groundbreaking thermo- plastic pultrusion technology developed at the UMaine ASCC by faculty and staff, and ReFORM was formed to commercialize this technology. "Staff and students were coached by UMaine-SPIRE to develop the busi- ness plan and strategy. Funding for the ASCC research that led to this new manufacturing technology was provided to UMaine by the US Army Corps of Engineers ERDC. We appreciate the support that Senator Collins provided to secure the US Army Corps grant that led to this promising invention and technology." Hampden buildout ReForm is outfitting a facility in the Hampden Industrial Park at 43 Carey Circle. e installation of four pro- duction lines will support expanded manufacturing operations as programs move from development into produc- tion. e build-out includes floor and power installations for ReForm's spe- cialty equipment. Financing has included a $50,000 grant from the Maine Technology Institute's Business Innovation Fund, $350,000 with a required match of $350,000 from the Maine Technology Asset Fund program administered by MTI and earned revenue from engi- neering contracts and early manufactur- ing work. "As these lines are brought online, ReForm is leveraging its engineering and R&D capabilities to develop new customer production streams as well as its own products, particularly for concrete construction applications," says Sheltra. "As production capacity comes online, ReForm anticipates adding engi- neering and manufacturing roles over the next 12 to 24 months." Laurie Schreiber, Mainebiz senior writer, can be reached at lschreiber @ mainebiz.biz 11 M A R C H 9 , 2 0 2 6 P H O T O / C O U R T E S Y O F R E F O R M P H O T O / C O U R T E S Y O F R E F O R M From left, CEO Cody Sheltra, COO Samuel Heathcote, CTO Philip Bean, director of composites for infrastructure Jacob Clark, mechanical engineering intern Hubert Khalil and director of manufacturing development Michael Hunter, outside ReForm's leased space in Hampden. ReForm's first commercial product, PolyDowel, was made for concrete flatwork such as sidewalks and industrial flooring.

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