Issue link: https://nebusinessmedia.uberflip.com/i/544946
W W W. M A I N E B I Z . B I Z 7 J U LY 2 7 , 2 0 1 5 Community Loan Fund, Damariscotta; Furniture Friends, Portland; Wayside Food Programs, Portland; and the Gulf of Maine Research Institute, Portland. $15 minimum wage in Portland? Voters to decide is November, Portland voters will be asked if they want to raise the city's minimum wage from $7.50 an hour to $15, a proposal that goes above and beyond the increase sought by elected offi cials. e Portland Press Herald reported that the Portland City Council voted to put a citizen's initiative calling for a $15 an hour minimum wage on the city's November ballot. e city council will also reconsider its own minimum wage increase on Sept. 9, which offi cials said would allow more time to fi gure out how tipped workers should be handled. e citizen's initiative would require employers with more than 500 employees to comply with a $15 an hour minimum wage by 2017, while employers with fewer employees would have four years to meet the requirement. e initiative would also increase the minimum wage for tipped workers to $11.25 an hour. Mac Air Group begins work on $6M facility Mac Air Group, a Portland-based, high-end aviation services company, began construction of its $6 million facility at Portland International Jetport on July 16. e Portland Press Herald reported that the company's new 43,000-square-foot facility, located at the Jetport's southeast side, would allow it to add 15 new jobs to its current workforce of 60. State seeks bids for Portland cold storage site e Maine Port Authority is ask- ing seven companies to submit bids for a cold storage facility that is being planned as part of the International Marine Terminal expansion in Portland. e Portland Press Herald reported that the agency on July 15 asked Americold Logistics LLC, the largest cold storage company in the world, and other large players in that industry to submit bids to build a warehouse that could size up to 120,000 square feet. Jonathan Nass, the Maine Port Authority's chairman, told the newspaper that Maine currently has a shortage of cold storage, forcing many food processors to ship their products out-of-state for storage. Larus Isfeld, managing director of Eimskip USA Inc., said that the new cold storage warehouse at the International Marine Terminal would benefi t the food processing industry in Maine by giving proces- sors better options that cost less. S O U T H E R N Direct Vet Marketing raises $52.3M in equity — That's something to bark about State seeks bids for Portland cold storage site — Port expansion is heating up Mac Air Group begins work on $6M facility — Family-owned firm spreads its wings Kepware opens first international office in Tokyo — Just remember Maine is 'the land of the rising sun' too Indian firm partners with Argo to create 300 jobs — Top-notch work force closes the deal Funtown becomes target of misdirected outrage — Check the facts before you hit 'send' Canadian tourists in Maine on the decline — Blame it on the falling loonie Owner of troubled Maine farm files for bankruptcy — Sad story for everyone involved Bethel company fights trademark violation claim — Déjà vu: Remember the 'Grizzly Bear' dispute? UMaine system projects $16M shortfall — Not exactly a sustainable course 1-800-447-4559 bathsavings.com