Mainebiz

V O L . X X I N O. X I I J U N E 1 5 , 2 0 1 5 6 Feds give $500K to create inmate jobs program Brunswick-based Coastal Counties Workforce Inc. is receiving a $500,000 federal grant to establish a pre-release employment program for inmates at Cumberland County Jail. U.S. Sens. Susan Collins and Angus King announced that the U.S. Department of Labor grant will help CCWI establish an American Job Center at the jail, where inmates can access pre-release employment and career services. e funding is part of a broader initiative in the federal department's "Linking to Employment Activities Pre-release" program. e initiative, which links correctional facilities with workforce development programs, aims to cre- ate a support system for inmates by helping them start careers after being released from prison. Maine universities, community colleges CUT e University of Maine System and Maine Community College System have signed a "far-reaching" transfer agreement that is expected to reduce college costs for students. e university and community college systems said in a joint announcement that the agree- ment will allow students to transfer up to 35 credits of general education requirements between any of Maine's 14 community colleges and public universi- ties. e transfer process was previously guided by more than 150 transfer agree- ments for specific programs of study. Downeaster revenue expected to dip by $1M e operator of the Amtrak Downeaster is expected to close the fiscal year with $1 million less in revenue and 57,000 fewer riders than the previous 12 months. e Northern New England Passenger Rail Authority said the poor performance stems from more than 270 cancella- tions that were the result of bad winter weather and a track rehabilitation project 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 Pursuit OS 345 Offshore NO RESERVATIONS. WATERFRONT DINING AT SUNSET. Why wait? Call Steve at 207-846-9050 www.yarmouthboatyard.com www.pursuitboats.com Providing solutions for diverse hiring needs for Maine companies 207-854-2422 directpersonnel.net 1-800-639-8802 mainestaff.com • Finance/ accounting professionals • Skilled laborers • Flaggers • Administrative experts • Health Care professionals • Engineers Call us today! A corporate division of Maine Staffing Group National IT giant Konica Minolta Business Solutions USA Inc. has acquired SymQuest Group, a managed IT services firm with a growing presence in Maine. Leaders from both companies called the acquisition a "perfect match" in a June 3 phone conference call with Mainebiz, saying it will expand oppor tunities for both SymQuest and Konica Minolta Business Solutions, which is based in Ramsey, N.J. Financial terms of the deal are not being disclosed. Konica Minolta Business Solutions is a subsidiary of Konica Minolta Inc., with more than 8,000 employees in the United States. Larry Sudbay, president and co-founder of SymQuest, said the acquisition will allow the company to expand offerings to its 2,500 clients, 600 of which are in Maine. The company provides a variety of managed IT services, including cloud solutions, managed network services, document manage- ment and managed print services. "We are now able to offer far more solutions today than we were yesterday," he said. "We're excited about all the solutions they bring." Sudbay said SymQuest will retain its name and its 186 employees across SymQuest's headquarters in Westbrook and South Burlington, Vt., and five offices in New York and northern New England, which includes a location in Lewiston. What's more, the acquisition will allow SymQuest to double its Maine workforce of 32 employees within the next few years, Sudbay said. Sudbay said the acquisition came together after SymQuest spent four years looking for an investor that would help the company grow. But the investor couldn't be just any company, he said. It had to be one that shared its values and mission statement. And that ultimately led to Konica Minolta, which he said offers a similar business model. "One of the attributes we saw with Konica is that while they think globally, they act locally," Sudbay said of Konica Minolta's matching values. "SymQuest's ability to continue to create raving fans was important to Konica." Rick Taylor, president and chief operating officer of Konica Minolta Business Solutions, said this is the company's 20th acquisition in the last four years. He said the company is on the lookout for innovative companies with great leadership teams that are looking to grow. — 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 S Y M Q U E S T G RO U P Larry Sudbay, president and CEO of SymQuest Group, with Rick Taylor, president and chief operating officer of Konica Minolta Business Solutions. Konica Minolta acquires IT firm with Westbrook, Lewiston offices

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