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V O L . X X I N O. I V F E B R UA R Y 2 3 , 2 0 1 5 10 B U S I N E S S M A I N E B U S I N E S S M A I N E B U S I N E S S N E W S F RO M A RO U N D T H E S TAT E Caribou lures big employer from neighbor Sitel, a call center that employs about people, is moving its opera- tions to Caribou after working at the Loring Commerce Centre in Limestone for years. e Bangor Daily News reported that Sitel's move, expected to happen mid-March, will give the company access to a larger labor market, supporting its expan- sion plans, though the details of those plans are currently not known. Winter training hub gets $5M Maine Winter Sports Center, whose Nordic ski venues in Northern Maine have been provided as train- ing grounds for Olympians in the past, has received million in recent gifts. e Bangor Daily News reported that the nonprofit received million from Presque Isle native Mary Barton Akeley Smith, who is promising an additional mil- lion in matching funds. e center recently launched its million endowment campaign, nearly a year after the Libra Foundation said it was ending its financial support for the nonprofit. Smart Energy Idea #11 Install Control Systems www.aaaenergy.com Whether you run your business out of a single building or from facilities throughout New England, AAA Energy Service Co. can help you control energy costs and efficiency from the most convenient location of all — your smartphone or tablet. Our customers say it's the smartest energy decision they've made. For a FREE energy assessment, call 207-883-1473 or email us at info@aaaenergy.com Heating Air Conditioning Controls Refrigeration Maintenance Former Preti Flaherty attorney to lead Maine blueberry commission A former attorney at Portland-based Preti Flaherty has been named the new executive director of the Wild Blueberry Commission of Maine, the state's blue- berry trade group. The commission said Feb. 12 that Nancy McBrady has succeeded David Bell, who led the commission for 19 years. McBrady is the commission's fourth executive director and the rst woman to lead the group, which repre- sents Maine's wild blueberry industry. Todd Merrill, president of Merrill Blueberry Farms in Ellsworth and presi- dent of theWild Blueberry Association of North America, said in a prepared statement that McBrady's selection was unanimous. He added: "She brings to the table a wealth of environmental, regulatory and policy experience; a broad knowledge of the issues facing our business and a sheer enthusiasm for the wild blueberry and its importance to Maine that will be powerful in helping us continue to grow our industry on a global level." McBrady, who grew up in Lewiston, studied at the University of Maine School of Law and went on to work for Preti Flaherty, developing specialties in environ- mental law, land use and municipal law. In her role as executive director, McBrady is charged with helping to grow Maine's wild blueberry industry and advocating for it with state and federal law- makers. According to a 2007 economic impact study, the most recent available, Maine's blueberries generated $173 million in direct sales, 2,500 jobs and $63 million in annual payroll. Most of the activity is Down East. McBrady also will help the University of Maine Cooperative Extension obtain funding for research and development programs related to the wild blueberry industry. She has already helped the commissionobtain preliminary approval for a grantfrom the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry that would support a new outreach program. "It was wonderful to be able to make an impact immediately," McBrady said in a prepared statement. "The wild blueberry is a big part of our state's cultural heritage — it's up there with lighthouses, lobsters, Acadia and potatoes. I feel privileged to be a part of this important industry and I want to do everything I can to improve its interests and continue its success." McBrady started in her new role at the end of 2014. — P H O T O / C O U R T E S Y W I L D B L U E B E R R Y C O M M I S S I O N O F M A I N E Nancy McBrady, executive director of the Wild Blueberry Commission of Maine. N O R T H E R N & E A S T E R N

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