Mainebiz

W W W. M A I N E B I Z . B I Z 7 M AY 4 , 2 0 2 6 Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program funding. FEMA's Hazard Mitigation Grant Program awarded $1 million to Maine to reimburse the Section 324 state management costs for the severe storms and flooding that struck the state in January 2024. Mill redevelopment to add 86 apartments in Sanford Redevelopment of the 70,000- square-foot former Jagger Mill in Sanford is underway, and by fall will add 86 units of much-needed hous- ing to the city. e Jagger Mill com- plex will feature a mix of studio, one- bedroom and two-bedroom market- rate apartments. Rents will range from $1,500 for the 450-square-foot studios to $3,000 for the two-bed- room, 1,200-square-foot units. Hospital to open Rock Row outpatient center Northern Light Mercy Hospital plans to expand access to primary and cardiovascular care with a new loca- tion at the Rock Row Health campus in Westbrook. Services will include echocardiography and cardiac stress testing, offering access to coordinated care in one location. Northern Light Mercy Hospital has leased 10,400 square feet on the second floor of the Rock Row Health building. e goal is to open in 2027. Freeport retailer reopens with new owners A specialty retail store in down- town Freeport is entering a new chapter, as new owners relaunch the Spice & Tea Exchange of Freeport with expanded offerings. Joel and Sam Elliot, along with business partner Denham Ward, have taken over the store from previous owner David Hamlin. e store was open for over a year before the ownership change. e shop, at 6 Mill St., was closed for just over a week during the transition. Portland Jetport cleared for upgrades e Portland International Jetport will move ahead with $10.8 million in upgrades at Maine's largest airport after the City Council approved the flight plan. e fund- ing will support the second phase of a project to replace 70,000 square feet of 20-inch-thick concrete apron that's more than 25 years old, along with a second phase of expand- ing the long-term hold area and de-icing pad. e expansion will add 60,000 square feet and create a fourth aircraft position. UNE launches institute with $5M gift With a $5 million gift from philan- thropist David Shaw, the University of New England is launching an interdisciplinary institute focused on environmental and human health, reinforcing the school's role as a hub for collaboration, research and work- force development. e institute will unite expertise across health sciences, public health, marine and environ- mental science, political science and sustainable business to tackle issues ranging from coastal resilience and climate change to aging populations and mental health. N O T E W O R T H Y S O U T H E R N ProInfoNet, an IT consulting firm in Portland, launched an AI assessment and strategy service offering to help health care organizations identify, gov- ern and scale artificial intelligence al- ready embedded across their systems and workflows. Cara Matchmaking, a Falmouth-based matchmaking service for profession- als, changed its name to Guided Love Connections. Chinburg Properties Inc., a home- builder in Newmarket, N.H., an- nounced that it began its renova- tion of the historic Jagger Mill in Sanford. The project will transform the 70,000-square-foot mill, originally built in 1920, into 86 market-rate residen- tial apartment units. Saco & Biddeford Savings and Paquin & Carroll Insurance donated a total of $20,000 to Sweetser in support of the construction of Maine's first Psychiatric Residential Treatment Facility located on the nonprofit community mental health provider's campus. NBT Bancorp Inc. , which is based in Norwich, N.Y., and has a Portland branch, reported net income for the first quarter of 2026 ended March 31 was $51.1 million, or 98 cents per diluted common share, compared to $36.7 million, or 77 cents per diluted common share, for the first quarter of 2025. Elmet IPO will be used to repay debt, grow e Elmet Group Co. — a provider of precision-engineered components and advanced high-energy systems with facilities in Lewiston and Gorham, with headquarters in Portland — raised $125.5 million in an initial public offering. Elmet (Nasdaq: ELMT) S O U T H E R N C E N T R A L & W E S T E R N A S K AC E B y A l e x i s C r a w f o r d , O n P o i n t D i g i t a l S t r a t e g i e s The Association for Consulting Expertise (ACE) is a nonprofit association of independent consultants who value "success through collaboration." The public is welcome to attend its regular meetings to share best practices and engage with industry experts. For more information go to www.consultexpertise.com. Q: I want to improve my online presence. Should I focus on website upgrades or a customer relationship-management system? ACE advises: For small businesses, this is a common "chicken or the egg" decision — and it usually comes down to: what's your biggest challenge right now? If your primary challenge is getting found online, a strong website matters. A CMS (content management system) helps you clearly explain what you do, build credibility, and give potential customers a place to learn about your services. It also supports visibility through search engines and AI-driven platforms, especially when paired with consistent, helpful content like blog posts. However, many small businesses already have some level of visibility — through referrals, word of mouth, social media, or occasional website inquiries. If prospects and customer information are tracked across email inboxes, notebooks, or spreadsheets, a CRM (customer relationship management) system should be the first choice. A CRM gives small teams structure without adding unnec- essary complexity. It allows you to: Track where inquiries are coming from Keep all contacts and conversations in one place Follow up consistently without relying on memory See what's actually driving revenue Without that foundation, investing in a new website can create more activity — but not necessarily more measur- able results. For most small businesses, growth doesn't come from doing more — it comes from organizing what's already happening. Start by putting a simple system in place to capture and manage opportunities. Then, when you invest in your website, it will be connected to a process that can actually convert interest into revenue. Alexis Crawford, founder of On Point Digital Strategy, is a member of ACE's marketing committee. She can be reached at alexis@onpointdigitalstrategy.com.

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