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V O L . X X X I I N O. X X I I I O C T O B E R 5 , 2 0 2 6 6 Maine's minimum wage to rise Maine's minimum hourly wage will increase by 60 cents next year to $15.70, under a state law requiring annual inflation adjustments. e current rate, which took effect at the start of 2026, is $15.10. e Maine Department of Labor said an estimated 28,000 hourly workers earned less than $15 an hour in 2025, based on Current Population Survey data for 2025. ose workers represent about 4% of all wage and salary workers and about 8% of those paid hourly. e survey is conducted jointly by the U.S. Census Bureau and U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Under a 2016 voter-approved referendum, Maine's minimum wage is adjusted annually based on the cost-of-living index for the Northeast. e index climbed 4.1% from August 2025 to August 2026. King backs bill to address VA doctor shortage A bipartisan bill backed by U.S. Sen. Angus King, I-Maine, aims to address doctor shortages at U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs medical centers by making it easier to hire and retain highly skilled physicians. e VA Salary Cap Waiver Adjustment Act would allow the VA secretary to issue waivers to VA medical directors, enabling them to exceed existing salary caps when needed to hire or retain highly skilled physicians. e proposed measure aims to put VA facilities at more equal footing when it comes to compensation. N O T E W O R T H Y S T A T E W I D E U.S. Sen. Susan Collins announced that Brooks Ambulance Service and United Ambulance Service in Lewiston each received a $300,000 grant through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's Supporting and Improving Rural EMS Needs grant program. U.S. Small Business Administration awarded a $5 million grant to the Maine Community College System to support the expansion of short-term manu- facturing workforce training classes at Central Maine Community College, Southern Maine Community College and York County Community College. Cape Elizabeth approves affordable housing development A rare affordable housing project for Cape Elizabeth's town center has been granted plan- ning board approval. e 18-unit Cape Commons apartment building, to be built by Portland-based GreenMars Real Estate, will be priced to be B U S I N E S S M A I N E Business news from around the state S T A T E W I D E S O U T H E R N Thomaston boatbuilder balances a range of projects B y L a u r i e S c h r e i b e r T he Rockland workboat division of Thomaston boatbuilder Lyman-Morse has had two interesting projects in the work for separate Maryland customers. It won a contract to build a specially designed 59-foot aluminum research vessel for the Maryland Department of Natural Resources. The Lyman-Morse division also launched a fully electric-powered passenger vessel that can carry up to 150 passengers. The vessel is powered by a lithium iron-phosphate battery. Research vessel The division's latest contract is to build a specially designed 59-foot aluminum research vessel to sup- port year-round scientific and field operations for the Maryland Department of Natural Resources on the Chesapeake Bay and near-coastal Atlantic waters. Designed with Chartwell Marine, a U.K.-based naval architecture firm, the vessel will combine near-coastal capability, maneuverability, research functionality and a rugged aluminum platform. The Maryland agency commissioned the boat to provide monitoring information and help protect and restore the state's water quality and habitat conditions. Features will include a station-keeping system that will allow the crew to maintain precise position dur- ing sampling and data collection, even in challenging tidal and current conditions. A large aft working deck with integrated A-frame equip- ment-handling capability will support deployment and retrieval of sampling gear, buoys and other equipment. "This project reflects the growing demand for highly specialized aluminum workboats," said Jonathan Egan, division manager of Lyman-Morse Workboats. The boat will carry up to 20 passengers. Coast Guard standards ensure that "every aspect of the build, from structural engineering and welding to fire suppression and stability testing, is independently reviewed and verified," said Egan. The division will build the vessel in its 15,000-square- foot metal fabrication facility in Rockland, before final outfitting and systems integration at the company's Thomaston waterfront facility. Electric boat The second project, a 49-foot electric-powered alumi- num catamaran called Firefly, was built for Upstream Alliance, a Maryland nonprofit providing on-the-water education and conservation programs. It can carry up to 32 people. Designed by New York naval architecture firm Gerr Marine, Firefly will operate from Camden, N.J., as a floating classroom, science laboratory and research platform on the Delaware River. The launch represents a milestone for the com- mercial marine industry because Firefly brings together solar generation, electric propulsion and lithium-ion energy storage. It is also built to the safety require- ments of the U.S. Coast Guard. "Launching Firefly is the culmination of an unusually complex and rewarding build," said Lance Buchanan, project manager at Lyman-Morse. SP ONSORED BY R E N D E R I N G / C O U R T E S Y LY M A N - M O R S E , C H A R T W E L L M A R I N E P H O T O / C O U R T E S Y LY M A N - M O R S E The 49-foot electric-powered aluminum catamaran, Firefly, is a milestone for the commercial marine industry, combining solar generation, electric propulsion, lithium-ion energy storage and rigorous safety. The workboat division of Thomaston boatbuilder Lyman-Morse will build a specially designed 59-foot aluminum research vessel for the Maryland Department of Natural Resources.

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