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M a i n e — A P h oto P o rt r A i t o f t h e P i n e t r ee S tAt e 5 P eople come from all over the world to see what all the fuss is about; to learn why Maine is "the way life should be." And while we lovingly throw open our doors, walking trails, and coastlines to our guests, there's more to Maine than a quick visit. You could spend a lifetime here: raising your kids, growing your business, and living the way you've always dreamed. In fact, some have called Maine's quality of life the "best in the nation. 1 " The romance of living here is sometimes hard to imagine, for those who haven't yet. Laughing as you watch your children chase after fireflies aglow in your backyard, biking to the closest beach 2 , armed with sandwiches, sunscreen, and a Frisbee. Having enough room to grow a garden or enjoying dinner with friends at a res- taurant that features fresh, locally and sustainably grown foods. Making last- minute plans with friends to go hiking, kayaking, or sailing because it's so easy to access nature from wherever you are in Maine. Just open your door. It's true that we revel in our small-town customs, like Yarmouth's Clam Festival or Damariscotta's Pumpkin Festival (com- plete with annual Pumpkin Regatta). We're completely shameless about our Main Street parades and farmers' markets, as well as our agricultural fairs (like Common Ground Country Fair and Fryeburg Fair). The Caribou Winter Carnival makes light of the chill with a month full of winter fun. While we love our heritage, and some of us can trace family roots further back than our statehood in 1820, many of us came here looking for something better. A way of life. Some Mainers are well-known art- ists, writers, musicians, and innovative entrepreneurs (Stephen King, Patrick Dempsey, Judd Nelson, E.B. White, Andrew Wyeth), but most of us are everyday, hard-working people. We like our small-town sports development teams and expect to see people we know when we catch a ballgame on a Tuesday evening after work. We see our own players join the ranks of the Celtics and Red Sox, and we're proud that we saw them here first. Here in Maine, we have seasons. All four of them. And each with its own promise of adventure. Those seasons mark the beauty of passing time and the charm of change; from the blooming of the Azalea Gar- dens in Northeast Harbor to the return of the ducks to Deering Oaks Park pond. When the days get shorter and snow begins to fly, we give ourselves permission to live differently: telecommuting to the office or taking the day to go sledding with our kids. While we may enjoy the people and landscape around us as we're doing it, Mainers are full of entrepreneurial spirit. In fact, 14% of Main- ers over 18 own a business 3 . We're famous for the things we make, because craftsmanship is something we take seriously. You can see it in our boat building, beer crafting, and everyone's favorite L.L.Bean boots. Our own Portland ranks fifth in the nation for being the best place to launch a small business 4 . We have competitive labor costs 5 , state-funded work force training, and tons of incentives 6 . We're in the right spot, too, with three commercial deepwater ports, an intermo- dal rail facility with a free trade zone, multiple modern airports, and affordable real estate with same-day access to Boston, New York and Montreal. In fact, we export our share of goods to neighbors as close as Canada and as far as New Zealand. Our top exports by industry include com- puters and electronic products, paper, and transportation equipment 7 . Our work force is educated, and we're home to more than 35 colleges and universities, both public and private. We have state-of-the-art health care fa- cilities, among them the Harold Alfond Cancer Center, Maine Center for Cancer Medicine, Maine Heart Center, and Bar- bara Bush Children's Hospital. Maine embraces research and devel- opment. For example, Maine Technology Institute offers commercialization grants and early stage financing for R&D proj- ects. State university innovation centers foster advancements in life sciences, re- newable energy, and advanced materi- als. We're home to world-class research facilities, including The Jackson Labora- tory, The Gulf of Maine Research Insti- tute, Mount Desert Island Biological Laboratory, Bigelow Laboratory, and University of Maine's AEWC Advanced Structures and Compos- ites Center. Whether it's our coveted quality of life, rich culture, vibrant com- merce, or bright future, you'll see in these pages just a slice of what we have to offer. So come see for yourself. Whether for a visit or a lifetime, the reasons to join us may be endless. Leila Musacchio, publisher and editor 1 fDi Editor, "Best quality of life," fDi Intelligence, e Financial Times LTD, 6 Jul. 2005, http://www.fdiintelligence.com/Archive/Best-quality-of-life (accessed June 2012). 2 Maine's landscape includes 5,500 miles of coastline, 6,000 lakes and world-class sustainable forests, according to Maine's Department of Economic and Community Development. Maine.gov, "Maine Department of Economic and Community Development," Maine.gov, http://www.maine.gov/decd/ (accessed June 2012). 3 United State Census Bureau, "State Characteristics: Vintage 2011," U.S. Department of Commerce, http://www.census.gov/popest/data/state/asrh/2011/index.html (accessed 12 Jun. 2012). Small Business Administration: Office of Advocacy, "Small Business Profile: Maine," U.S. Small Business Administration, Office of Advocacy, http://www.sba.gov/sites/default/files/me11_0.pdf (accessed 12 Jun. 2012). United States Census Bureau, "Estimates of the Resident Population by Selected Age Groups for the United States, States, and Puerto Rico," U.S. Department of Commerce http://www.census.gov/popest/data/state/asrh/2011/tables/SC-EST2011-01.xls (accessed 12 Jun. 2012). 4 Upstart Business Journal, "Small Business Vitality 2010," Upstart Business Journal, http://upstart.bizjournals.com/multimedia/interactives/2010/01/small-business-vitality-2010.html (accessed July 2012). 5 Competitive labor costs at 6% less than the national per capita rate. Maine.gov, "Maine Department of Economic and Community Development," Maine.gov, http://www.maine.gov/decd/ (accessed June 2012). 6 See http://www.maine.gov/decd for incentives. Award-winning tax incentive Pine Tree Development Zone program. Nationally recognized Community Development Block Grant program provides funds to projects including infrastructure development. Progressive tax reimbursement policies. Maine.gov, "Maine Department of Economic and Community Development," Maine.gov, http://www.maine.gov/decd/ (accessed June 2012). 7 Mainebiz Fact Book, 2 Jul. 2012. Ice fishing shack. Scott Peterman | Hollis Welcome to Maine