Issue link: https://nebusinessmedia.uberflip.com/i/517347
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 P r o f i l e s i n e x c e l l e n c e 148 T he majority of wild-caught Maine lobsters pass through five hands before being con- sumed. It begins with fishermen, who sell lobsters directly off-the-boat to a buyer/deal- er at the shore. Then the lobsters are transferred to a buyer/grader that sorts, separates and grades them. Next, they are sold and resold into the live market or to a processing plant which cooks and/or freezes them. From there they are shipped into food service for marketing to grocery stores and restaurants. At their final destination there is one certain out- come: they have gained a far higher price than was paid to the fishermen. It's difficult for many to under- stand why the hard-working, risk-taking fishermen are paid on average $4 per pound, or sometimes much less, for Maine lobster, when that same lobster, or even just the tail, is eventually served up for $30 to $60. When Linda Bean decided at age 67 to see what she could do about this, she began by buying her neigh- bor's business, Bay Lobster Company, in Port Clyde, renaming it Port Clyde Lobster. Linda was trained by David Larson, who had owned and operated Bay Lobster Company for over 20 years and was ready to retire. She set out to do more than simply make a profit by purchasing lobster from fishermen and then selling it to a buyer/grader. Skipping over the middleman, Bean came up with a way to make an investment that aligned with her instincts: she created a way of sharing the saved dol- lars with her fishermen, thus creating a lobster trap- to-table business model. The lobster boats and crews are not hers, but her pay policy is designed to keep loyal fishing families in business. Bean's approach has paid off for her fishermen. In 2010, Linda Bean an- nounced that $1.5 million in bonuses were earned by those fishermen. She also began to think about growing the business to an expanded plateau, including some added value lobster products. She decided to take the business mod- el to a new level and created a creamy lobster bisque for sale on QVC's television network, adding "Bean" to the label to attract customers familiar with her family name and its 95-year history in her home state. After that, Linda developed a secret herb blend to delicately enhance the subtle flavor of sweet lobster meat, adver- tised her butter-toasted quarter pounder widely, ele- vated her Maine lobster roll into the national spotlight, and started her own food kiosks and cafe ' s. Bean decided to put her own brand name on lob- ster in 2008. By combining the words "Bean," "Maine," and "lobster," she started a very noticeable industry stir. She developed an identification band for each of Linda Bean's Maine Lobster Café with lounge has 180-seats for dining and pre-flight relaxation, carry-aboard packed live lobsters, and retail lobster shop for frozen lobster treats, opened in October 2011 at Portland, Maine's International Jetport. Linda Bean's Perfect Maine ® "Linda Bean's Perfect Maine® is a brand name I have chosen to reflect my personal love of my native state," says Linda Bean.