Mainebiz

V O L . X X I N O. X I J U N E 1 , 2 0 1 5 6 Maine home sales slow in April Sales of existing single-family homes slowed in April, though the median sales price rose. Maine home sales reached 1,032 units in April, a 1.67% increase over the 1,015 units sold in the same month last year, according to the Maine Realtors Association. at's a slower pace than March, when sales volume grew by 6.5%. Still, the median sales price in April increased 5.33% to $178,000, a larger increase than the previous two months. On a national level, home sales increased 6.5%, while the median sales price increased 10% to $221,200 during the same period, according to the National Association of Realtors. Sales in the Northeast increased 1.6%, while the median sales price increased 3.6% to $253,200. Uber eyes coastal Maine expansion Uber, the San Francisco-based ridesharing service, was scheduled to start operations in Bar Harbor, Old Orchard Beach, Ogunquit and Kennebunk on the evening of May 22 for a summertime test. e Bangor Daily News reported that the com- pany did not reach out to any of the municipalities before announcing its beach town expansion. Bar Harbor Town Manager Cornell Knight told the newspaper he suspects Uber would have to obtain a license before beginning operations. FairPoint layoffs deal largest blow in Maine FairPoint Communications is plan- ning to lay off 260 workers across 17 states, and its Maine workforce is expected to take the biggest hit. e Bangor Daily News reported that FairPoint's plan includes 79 layoff s in Maine, which the company said is the result of declining revenue from its landline service. e announce- ment follows a poor fi rst quarter for FairPoint, which posted a net loss of $45.2 million. Peter McLaughlin, spokesman for Maine's International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers local, told the newspaper that "cutting [FairPoint's] workforce by more than 10% will only make matters worse," referring to the company's failure to meet service quality benchmarks. 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 At Jensen Baird, our commitment is to you. Maine lawyers. Maine clients. Maine values. Portland / Kennebunk 207-775-7271 • 1-800-756-1166 • jbgh.com We know what our clients need, because we know Maine. Our lawyers understand the unique challenges of living and doing business here. We aren't part of a huge national firm, we're part of the community. And we've been that way for over 60 years. EnginEEring & DEsign | survEy & Mapping | roW acquisition | projEct ManagEMEnt scarborough, ME 04074 | 207.730.7340 | FacEbook.coM/cornErstonEEnErgysErvicEs tap into the leading experts in pipeline design, meter and regulation stations, Lng facilities, pipeline survey, right-of-Way, public outreach, and many other aspects of gas pipeline development and operations. Massachusetts tech fi rm expanding to Belfast Ashland, Mass.-based OnProcess Technology said it will expand to Belfast and hire 50 employees now and as many as 300 more in the future. OnProcess, which handles supply-chain management and optimization and has other sites in India and Bulgaria, said in its announcement that the Belfast site will support the growing demand from wireless, broadband, technology and medical clients. OnProcess Technology will go into the former MBNA campus on Schoodic Drive, where it has signed a fi ve-year lease for 35,000 square feet, according to a separate announcement by Gov. Paul LePage. The governor's offi ce said the company is investing $2 million in new equipment and employee training, among other things, for its new service center. "Our managed services business has been growing steadily, thanks to the volume of companies turning to OnProcess to improve their post-sales customer experiences and reduce costs," Ed Barry, CEO of OnProcess Technology, said in a prepared statement. "As a Massachusetts-based company, we wanted to expand in New England, and Belfast was the ideal location." "[We were] attracted by Belfast's vibrant business community and highly skilled workforce. Its proximity to major universities, several of which have supply- chain curricula, also makes the area great for recruiting employees," he added. Barry said he credited Maine's state government, the city of Belfast and reloca- tion consulting fi rm Maine & Co. with helping the company fi nd a suitable facility. "Maine & Co. has been privileged to work with OnProcess Technology over the past year. The level of cooperation from the state and local partners has been extraordinary," Peter DelGreco, Maine & Co.'s president and CEO, said in a pre- pared statement. "We are excited for OnProcess Technology's growth plans and the work environment they will create. This is a fast-growing, energetic company that we are thrilled to welcome to Maine's business community." — S t a f f r e p o r t s Go to mainebiz.biz/BofAdownsize to learn how Bank of America's offi ce consolidation plan allowed OnProcess Technology to fi nd space in Belfast. @

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