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V O L . X X I N O. X I J U N E 1 , 2 0 1 5 8 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 president after the university's fi rst choice unexpectedly dropped out. e Portland Press Herald reported that Cummings, a former speaker of the Maine House who currently serves as the University of Maine at Augusta's interim president, will take over the position from USM's interim leader, David Flanagan, on July 1. Harvey Kesselman was originally slated to become USM's next president, but said on May 20 that he is stepping away from the off er to continue his work at Stockton University in New Jersey, where he is currently acting president. Kesselman was asked by Stockton University's board to remain because of turmoil at the school, according to the Bangor Daily News. Waterboro company built tank for 'Mad Max' Waterboro-based Howe and Howe Technologies has built a custom- ized tank that appears in the recently released "Mad Max: Fury Road" fi lm. e company's CEO, Geoff Howe, told WGME-13 that he and his twin brother, Mike, were contracted to build "the world's nastiest tracked vehicle" for the George Miller-directed fi lm, which is set in a post-apocalyptic world. e tank is called " e Peacemaker" in the fi lm. Howe and Howe Technologies also provided a customized tank for the 2013 fi lm "G.I. Joe: Retaliation" before it was originally created for military applications, according to the Journal Tribune. e company was founded in the early 2000s and was the subject of a Discovery television show, "Black Ops Brothers: Howe and Howe Technologies." N O T E W O R T H Y S O U T H E R N The Press Hotel and UNION Restaurant opened at 119 Exchange St. in Portland. The hotel and res- taurant are in the renovated, former Portland Press Herald building. Fluid Imaging Technologies, a laboratory instrumentation manu- facturer in Scarborough, awarded its 2015 Aquatic Research Student Equipment and Travel Grant to Keara Stanislawczyk from the Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Science at the University of Windsor in Windsor, Ont., Canada. Stanislawczyk's propos- al, Comparison of Multiple Techniques for Identifying Rare Species in Hamilton Harbour, was selected after a series of in-depth reviews by a panel of inde- pendent aquatic scientists. Southern Maine Community College in South Portland will offer welding cours- es in its ongoing commitment to pro- vide workforce development training to meet the needs of Maine businesses. Tax break approved for Augusta aviation fi rm e Augusta City Council has approved a tax break that will help Maine Instrument Flight build a new hangar to accommodate more space for customers. e Kennebec Journal reported that the tax incre- ment fi nancing plan, approved on May 21, will refund 50% of taxes on new developments to Maine Instrument Flight for the next 18 years, or about $4,800 a year. Bill Perry, owner of Maine Instrument Flight, said the lack of extra hangar space in the past at Augusta State Airport has caused the company to lose business from plane owners and operators. Building a new $650,000 hangar is expected to help change that. Medical marijuana facility plans $2.5M expansion Wellness Connection of Maine is proposing a $2.5 million expansion for its medical marijuana-growing facility in Auburn to keep up with growing demand. e Sun Journal reported that Wellness Connection's proposal entails expanding its 33 Omni Circle facility by 20,000 square feet to 87,817. e facility provides medical mari- juana to the company's dispensaries in Gardiner, omaston and Portland. e $2.5 million is being spent on the facility expansion's fi rst phase. Construction is expected to begin in a few weeks and be completed by this fall. e expansion is anticipated to support 13 new jobs for the facility, which currently employs 25 people. N O T E W O R T H Y C E N T R A L & W E S T E R N Summit Natural Gas of Maine in Augusta announced the launch of an interactive online map highlight- ing construction plans and progress for 2015. The map illustrates loca- tions where construction is planned, where crews are actively working and where gas service is available to potential customers. www.bhbt.com • 888-853-7100 Tim knows business banking relationships are not always a walk in the park, but more like running a marathon; and Tim has run quite a few! His qualities as a runner are what make him a valuable resource for business owners: understanding that success takes discipline, staying focused on the goal, and remaining adaptable throughout the journey as challenges arise. Call Tim at 1-888-853-7100 to discuss plans to achieve the next goal for your business. Products and services are provided by one or more insurance company subsidiaries of W. R. Berkley Corporation. Not all products and services are available in every jurisdiction, and the precise coverage afforded by any insurer is subject to applicable underwriting guidelines and the actual terms and conditions of the policies as issued. Maine • Connecticut • New Hampshire • Massachusetts • New York • Vermont There's no better way to know what your customer needs than to live and work in their neighborhood. At Acadia Insurance, we not only support local communities, we keep decision-making at the local level, through community-based agents, specialists and reps. To learn more or find an Acadia agent, visit acadiainsurance.com Closer Coverage. IT'S EASIER TO PROTECT A CUSTOMER WHEN YOU CAN SEE THEM FROM YOUR WINDOW. ACAD-0283 Retail4.375x5.5.indd 1 3/24/15 10:56 AM C E N T R A L & W E S T E R N

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