Mainebiz

W W W. M A I N E B I Z . B I Z 43 FA C T BO O K / D O I N G B U S I N E S S I N M A I N E I N N OVAT I O N / R & D some advantages from being a for- mer Navy facility, Kristine Schuman, business development coordinator for MRRA and who also is spearhead- ing the TechPlace eff ort and redevel- opment of the base, said in a recent interview with Mainebiz. For example, TechPlace is in a Foreign Trade Zone, meaning a company can import parts, perform some manufacturing and then export them without incurring duties. Occupants also are eligible for Pinetree Development Zone benefi ts. It also is in a Historically Underutilized Business Zones area, which gives companies preferential access to federal procure- ment opportunities. Still other companies located in Maine sell mostly internationally, so they're not well known or known at all in the local market. Among them: Kepware Technologies, which makes software that lets disparate industrial machinery communicate, and which has quietly tapped the boom in manufac- turing, more than tripling revenue and doubling employees since 2000. Almost half of its revenue is international, and less than 1% is from Maine. e reason Kepware isn't readily recognized by its customers is that its software works deep within networks of equipment bearing brands like Rockwell, Siemens and Mitsubishi. But Kepware's software is critical for allowing equipment, old and new, in a network to share information. For example, a 2,700-acre vineyard uses Kepware software to monitor and control its irrigation system, which includes solar-powered fl ow meters, pumps, alarms and personal comput- ers. Another example is at Arizona State University, where Kepware's software is linking personal comput- ers, monitors, sensors, electrical and other systems in 100 campus build- ings with thousands of points that can input data to help that university document and monitor energy use, Other companies known internationally but less so outside their immediate location in Maine are Soleras Advanced Coatings, a Biddeford maker of the sputtering targets used to create the thin fi lms placed on energy-effi cient windows, and Peregrine Turbine Technologies LLC, a Wiscasset developer of what it claims is a disruptive technology turbine initially targeted at distributed energy generation, where power is generated at the point of consumption rather than centrally, potentially saving the cost and ineffi ciency of energy transmission and distribution over long distances. Academic spinoffs Maine has several world-renowned research institutions, though they have been slow to spin off new companies. In 2012, e Jackson Laboratory in Bar Harbor spun off only the second busi- ness in its 80-year history, led by cancer researcher Kevin Mills. e company, Cyteir erapeutics Inc., is develop- ing cancer therapies and autoimmune disease treatments. At the heart of the venture is a specifi c drug to treat chronic lymphocytic leukemia. And in 2013, the MDI Biological Laboratory in Salisbury Cove spun off the fi rst company in its 115-year history, led by lab director Kevin Strange and regenerative biology researcher Voot C O N T I N U E D O N F O L L OW I N G PA G E » P H O T O / T I M G R E E N WAY Brett Austin, president of Kepware Technologies, a maker of software that allows disparate industrial machinery to communicate. Charge Ahead Leading a business is a team endeavor with all the risk and excitement of competitive racing. You're at the helm, you have a strong crew, but it often takes something more than your core team to win in business. We can help. CFA is a business advisory and investment banking firm working with small and medium sized businesses to solve problems, raise growth capital, and meet their long-term financial goals. For more information and expert advice contact: 75 Market St • Portland, ME • Securities Offered Through Corporate Finance Securities, Inc. • Member FINRA/SIPC • cfaw.com/portland/ Advisory Services Sell-Side M&A Facilitating the marketing and sale of businesses for their owners. Buy-Side M&A Facilitating the strategic search and acquisition of businesses to support company growth goals. Corporate Finance Securing new debt or equity funding commitments to support growth, recapitalization, or acquisitions. Commercial Real Estate Securing debt or equity funding for owner occupied or investment grade commercial real estate. CORPORATE FINANCE ASSOCIATES Peter G. Moore pmoore@cfaw.com 207.772.2221 Peter B. Ventre pventre@cfaw.com 207.774.4461 Samuel W. Adams sadams@cfaw.com 207.699.5608 I N V E S T M E N T B A N K E R S T O T H E M I D D L E M A R K E T

• Cover