Mainebiz

V O L . X X I N O. V I I I A P R I L 2 0 , 2 0 1 5 6 LePage wants to deregulate lodging businesses A senior health policy adviser for Gov. Paul LePage said the gover- nor wants to remove all licensing requirements for lodging businesses. Holly Lusk, the adviser, made the comments during a April 6 legisla- tive hearing on a bill that would add licensing requirements for short- term home rentals, according to the Bangor Daily News. LePage opposes the bill that would impact short-term home rentals that appear on websites like Airbnb, Lusk said, instead pre- ferring to level the playing field by removing licensing requirements for all lodging businesses. MOFGA joins lawsuit against USDA e Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association and another Maine group have joined a law- suit against the U.S. Department of Agriculture, challenging the pro- cess behind a 2013 rule change in its organic certification program. e New York Times reported that the lawsuit was filed by California- based Center for Food Safety in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. e lawsuit argues that the USDA violated federal law when it changed how nonorganic substances are approved in the organic certification process without holding a public comment period. MOFGA and the Organic Seed Growers and Trade Association in Washington, Maine, have joined the lawsuit as plaintiffs, according to the Bangor Daily News. DeCosters get jail sentence for tainted eggs A father and son who previously operated egg farms in Maine have been sentenced to three months in jail for their involvement with a 2010 salmonella outbreak. e Portland Press Herald reported that Austin "Jack" DeCoster, 81, of Turner, and his son, Peter, 51, of Clarion, Iowa, received the sentence, along with $100,000 fines each, in federal court in Sioux City on April 13. DeCoster's companies have previously paid fines in the millions of dollars for various violations over the past 50 years. e DeCosters pleaded guilty last year to selling contaminated eggs in Iowa through their company, Quality Egg. e contaminated eggs prompted a salmonella outbreak in 2010, with nearly 2,000 officially confirmed cases and more than 56,000 esti- mated to have gotten sick. Feds give more than $4M to Maine airports ree Maine airports are receiv- ing a total of more than $4 million in federal grants for infrastruc- ture improvements. U.S. Sens. Susan Collins and Angus King announced on April 10 that the Federal Aviation Administration is awarding $1.2 million to the Bangor International Airport and $350,000 to the Northern Maine Regional Airport at Presque Isle. ey also said the Portland International Jetport is receiving $2.5 million. e Portland and Bangor airports will use the funds to rehabilitate their runway pavement, while Northern Maine Regional Airport will use its funds to buy new snow removal equipment. 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 A PRACTICAL APPROACH TO PRIVATE CAPITAL. As experienced business and securities counsel, we bridge the gap between the complexities of federal and state securities laws and the practical realities of getting deals done. Our Private Capital Team works with operating companies, private funds, family offices and individuals. Talk with us today to learn how we can help you successfully raise or invest capital. Joel Shaw: jshaw@bernsteinshur.com | Helen Sterling Coburn: hcoburn@bernsteinshur.com Portland, ME | Augusta, ME | Manchester, NH | 207 774-1200 | bernsteinshur.com 'Shark Tank' to hold open call in Portland Get your one-minute pitches ready. ABC reality series "Shark Tank" is planning to hold an open call for entrepreneurs in Portland this summer. Portland is listed as one of eight open-call locations scheduled between this week and this summer, according to the reality show's website. The website said Portland's open call for potential contestants will be held in July or August, with the exact location yet to be announced. Portland's open call will be open to the general public, the website said, but only the first 500 applicants will be admitted. Applicants will have one minute to pitch their business or product idea to a member of the "Shark Tank" casting team. Applications can be found at mainebiz.biz/sharktankapp. "Shark Tank," which premiered in 2009, is a weekly TV series that gives entrepreneurs a chance to pitch their business or product idea to a panel of "shark" investors, including real estate magnate Barbara Corcoran; Mark Cuban, owner of NBA's Dallas Mavericks, Magnolia Pictures and Landmark Theatres; and Daymond John, founder and president of clothing company FUBU. Some "Shark Tank" contestants have walked away with offers, though others were rescinded afterwards because of further due diligence conducted by the investors, according to a 2013 report by the New York Post. The largest deal to come out of the show so far was $2.5 million for a single-serve wine product from a startup called Zipz. A few Maine contestants have made their way onto "Shark Tank," including Scarborough natives and cousins Sabin Lomac and Jim Tselikis. They received a $55,000 investment in 2012 from Corcoran for their Cousins Maine Lobster food truck business, which has since expanded into a national franchise with 10 locations across the country. — D Y L A N M A R T I N P H O T O / C O U R T E S Y O F A B C / A DA M TAY L O R Cousins Jim Tselikis, left, and Sabin Lomac were featured on ABC's "Shark Tank" in 2012, pitching their lobster food truck and distribution business to a panel of well-heeled investors. The show netted the duo a $55,000 investment from real estate magnate Barbara Corcoran.

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