Mainebiz

February 9, 2015

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V o l . X X I N o. I I I F e b r ua r y 9 , 2 0 1 5 6 Lewiston insurer partners with pharmacy Lewiston-based Maine Community Health Options has partnered with a locally owned community pharmacy group to eliminate the cost of generic medications for members. Penobscot Bay Press reported that MCHO's part- nership with Community Pharmacies will allow insurance members to fill generic medications for free at any of the pharmacy group's 10 locations in Maine. e pharmacy group's locations are Blue Hill, Bucksport, Corinth, Cornish, Dexter, Gorham, Newport, Saco, Randolph and Waldoboro. SunEdison finalizes First Wind buyout First Wind's wind energy facili- ties in Maine are now owned by SunEdison Inc. (NYSE: SUNE) after the renewable energy firm closed its $2.4 billion acquisition of the wind developer on Jan. 29. e Bangor Daily News reported that the parent company of Emera Maine sold back its ownership interest in Northeast Wind Partners II LLC to First Wind before St. Peters, Miss.-based SunEdison completed its purchase of the Boston-based wind developer. First Wind's wind energy facili- ties, including its five in Maine, will be overseen by TerraForm Power Inc. (Nasdaq: TERP), a Bethesda, Md.-based spinoff of SunEdison. SunEdison spokesman John LaMontagne told the newspaper that the investment could help fast- track development of First Wind's pending Maine projects. King joins Senate tourism caucus U.S. Sen. Angus King has joined U.S. Sen. Susan Collins and other elected officials on an informal Senate tour- ism group to help Maine's tourism industry through policymaking. King recently said he plans to work with federal agencies and industry groups to promote tourism as a member of the Senate tourism caucus. He said that will be accomplished by "reviewing and exploring important policy goals." Weathervane closes three Maine locations e 11-location Weathervane Restaurants chain has closed three Maine locations, citing a combination of current economic conditions. e Portland Press Herald cited a company news release saying Weathervane's South Portland, Brewer and Waterville locations, as well as one in Bedford, N.H., were closed on Jan. 26. e res- taurant chain will continue to operate its year-round location in Kittery, its seasonal location in Belfast and five New Hampshire locations. Meg Cloud, a company spokeswoman, declined to share specific details with the newspa- per as to why the four locations were closing, only saying that it was a result of current economic conditions. Maine community colleges name interim leader e Maine Community College System board of trustees has named its general counsel as the interim presi- dent, more than a week after longtime leader John Fitzsimmons resigned. e board announced on Jan. 23 that Derek Langhauser, the system's general counsel and a senior member of its leadership team, will serve as its interim president. e board will launch a national search for a permanent replacement in March. 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 With a history of delivering cost-effective solutions to complex electrical challenges and extensive airport runway and traffic signal experience, Local 567 welcomes Moulison North as our newest member. Local 567 is in partnership with the National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA) For the best electrical workers call Al Shepard | 207-786-9770 Introducing Moulison North Email newsletter for lovers of food and drink When it comes to food and drink recommendations, the digital revolution has brought us apps, blogs and social media to help us with decisions. But with so little time to browse, tap and scroll, how are we supposed to process all this information? Enter "Eat Drink Lucky," a new venture by the founders of Maine Restaurant Week and a digital media professional that hopes to solve that problem by sim- plifying how food and drink lovers learn about the latest and greatest places. And it's being done through an old format the founders say is experiencing a re-emergence among media companies: the email newsletter. Gillian and Jim Britt, of South Portland public relations firm gBritt PR, and Kevin Phelan, who previously worked for Gutenberg Communications in Boston, launched EDL as a daily email newsletter last September in 10 markets, includ- ing Portland, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, Chicago and Washington, D.C.That means the company is sending 70 emails a week, roughly 300 emails a month and eventually 3,650 emails a year. Now, after hitting the "send" button for over 90 days, Phelan, Jim and Gillian told Mainebiz that EDL is ready for "aggressive growth" this year. Though they didn't share current subscriber information, they said based on current trajec- tories, they are set to reach 30,000 subscribers between the 10 markets by September, marking the email newsletter's one-year anniversary. "[It's a lot of content], which is why we took the first 90 days to really hone that process," Phelan said in explaining why the company has been quiet about its efforts until now. Phelan said EDL has been funded by friends and family so far, but the com- pany is now entering its Series A round of funding, which will be used to expand the startup's editorial team, boost subscriber traction and develop distribution partnerships. He declined to say how much the company has raised for start-up costs or how much it is seeking from investors, but the company, working from gBritt's Ocean Street office in South Portland, seems confident. "We wouldn't be doing it if the opportunity wasn't right," Jim said. "We're not going to allow ourselves to get distracted when [our families' lives] are on the line. We're risking a lot." — D y l a n M a r t i n p h o t o / t e d a x e l ro d / a x e l ro d p h o t o g r a p h y Eat Drink Lucky owners Jim Britt, Gillian Britt and Kevin Phelan in the South Portland office. Read the full feature online at mainebiz.biz/EDL @

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