Mainebiz

W W W. M A I N E B I Z . B I Z 7 J U N E 2 9 , 2 0 2 6 Scales and Standard Baking Co., beat out four other finalists in a 36-year-old awards program widely regarded as the Oscars of the food world. Construction starts at the Edge in Berwick Great Falls Construction is kicking off summer with construction of 6 Main St., the fifth new building at its Edge devel- opment in downtown Berwick. Once completed, the 16,600-square-foot build will offer 3,200 square feet of commer- cial space on the ground floor. e upper three floors will have 17 apartments, a mix of one-bedroom and studio units. NOTEWORTHY SOUTHERN The Atlantic Federal Credit Union Foundation in South Portland awarded a total of $20,000 in scholarships to five graduating high school seniors, recognizing students whose academic achievement, service and leadership distinguished them among this year's applicants. Evergreen Credit Union, Verrill Law and the Maine Mariners presented a check for $11,000 to the Maine Credit Unions' Campaign for Ending Hunger as part of a Goals for Food program held during the 2025-26 hockey season. New England Rehabilitation Hospital of Portland introduced a new logo. ITNAmerica, a Westbrook-based na - tional nonprofit transportation network for older adults and people with mobil- ity challenges, launched America's Volunteer Driver Center, a national public information campaign to recruit 150,000 volunteer drivers to help older adults and people with mobility chal - lenges remain independent and con- nected in their communities. Caring Hearts Childcare Center, lo- cated in the Education Center at St. Mary's Episcopal Church in Falmouth, announced it will open in the fall. The nonprofit center, governed by an independent volunteer board, aims to expand access to safe, nurturing, de - velopmentally appropriate child care for children ages 18 months through pre-K. Developers Collaborative, a real estate developer in Portland, celebrated the grand opening of 21 Town Hall Place, marking the completion of the redevel- opment of Brunswick's former Central Fire Station into a mixed-use property featuring five affordable apartment homes and Moderation Brewing. The 31st Annual Bush Family Classic held at Cape Arundel Golf Club raised $600,000 to support Gary's House, Northern Light Mercy Hospital's hospitali - ty home for families facing medical crises. Microwave Techniques, a manufacturer of high-power microwave components and RF solutions and wholly owned subsidiary of The Elmet Group Co. in Gorham, announced it entered into a definitive license agreement with Brookhaven Science Associates, opera - tor of Brookhaven National Laboratory, to manufacture and commercialize the ARC Sentry system. The system detects optical evidence of arc propagation and issues an interlock signal to stop propa - gation before hardware damage occurs. As part of its 100th anniversary, Lucas Tree Experts in Portland announced a $500,000 permanent endowment to fund Integrated Vegetation Management research across the U.S. and Canada. The endowment, established through the TREE Fund, will provide annual research grants that support innovation, utility reli - ability, environmental stewardship and the future of vegetation management. The town of Scarborough said that ef- fective July 1, 2026, Garbage to Garden will assume the town's trash and recy- cling contract from longtime provider Casella Waste Systems. Airline Hydraulics Corp., a distributor of industrial automation, fluid power and controls solutions in Bensalem, Pa., announced that it acquired Industrial Automation Supply in Portland. The Portland office will continue to operate as a division of the corporation. Aroma Joe's, a handcrafted bever- age franchise headquartered in Scarborough, launched a line of dirty sodas at all of its 135 locations. Former Unity campus sells for $6M Unity Environmental University — which has converted from an on-cam- pus model to primarily remote learning — finalized an agreement to sell its 90 Quaker Hill property in the Waldo County town of Unity. e transaction was structured as a $6 million purchase agreement, with negotiated credits and customary closing adjustments. After closing costs and transaction expenses, the university expects net proceeds of $3.23 million. NOTEWORTHY MIDCOAST & DOWN EAST Franklin Savings Bank in Farmington contributed $20,000 to the Ellsworth Rotary Club's DeMeyer Field Project, a community- led redevelopment effort to en- hance the multi-use field complex for youth sports, family recreation and community programming. Lisbon supports local entrepreneurs As part of its quest to bring in more M I D C O A S T & D O W N E A S T A S K AC E A n s w e r e d b y T o m M o r g a n , B r e a k t h r o u g h S a l e s S o l u t i o n 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: As an employer, what are colleges and universities doing to provide me Day One-ready job candidates? ACE advises: Many employers are concerned about the six-month onboarding period for entry-level talent. University career centers are responding with creative ways to partner with employers to shorten that timeline and help graduates develop the skills needed to contribute immediately. For example, University of New England's approach to career readiness includes several unique elements: An integrated Academic and Career Advising model ensures that every student has access to career support from day one. Career development is built into student experience rather than treated as an optional resource. A strong emphasis on curriculum-embedded experiential learning and employer engagement. This approach creates ongoing collaboration between employers, students, and higher education professionals to align classroom learning with real-world expectations. It also helps students build durable skills such as critical thinking, decision-making, leadership and creativity through hands-on experiences. Universities focus increasingly on leveraging professional networks to build stu- dents' social capital. At UNE, this includes the Nor'easter Global Network. The Office of Career Readiness inten- tionally combines in-per- son relationship-building with a digitally powered connection hub to pro- vide equitable access to mentorship and profes- sional connections — trusted networks like this are crucial for ongoing career mobility. Universities must continue to find innovative ways to con- nect students and employers. Events such as career-connec- tions mixers and industry-exploration days not only reinforce the value of networking but simultaneously allow students to practice professional skills in real-time with trusted com- munity partners. Preparing students to be "career ready" on day one is a growing priority for universities. Career readiness goes beyond a first job placement; it empowers students with tools for lifelong career management. Tom Morgan, of Breakthrough Sales Solutions LLC, is an adjunct faculty member and director of the Center for Sales Excellence at the University of New England College of Business. tmorgan@ salesxceleration.com C O N T I N U E D O N F O L L OW I N G PA G E » C E N T R A L & W E S T E R N

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