Mainebiz

W W W. M A I N E B I Z . B I Z 7 A U G U S T 1 0 , 2 0 1 5 of Marine Resources fi gures quoted in a July 2013 Mainebiz article. U.S. exports to China rose to 8,560 metric tons (18.9 million pounds) last year, up 22-fold from 2009, U.S. Department of Agriculture data show. Shipments already are up 12 percent in 2015. MCED, E2 Tech get SBA grants e Maine Center for Entrepreneurial Development said that it and E2 Tech are among the winners of the 2015 SBA Growth Accelerator Fund Competition. e $50,000 award will fund the operating budget for MCED's Top Gun program, a model for accelerating high potential Maine companies using mentoring, train- ing and connections. e program is off ered in Portland, Bangor and Rockland, and plans are underway to set up a fourth location in Lewiston/ Auburn within two years. E2Tech, which also won the award, was incu- bated at MCED. e Top Gun pro- gram started in 2009 with 12 entrepre- neurs in Portland, and it graduated 32 companies this year. e 110 total Top Gun graduates have generated more than $25 million in revenue growth, $7.5 million in capital formation and 100 net new jobs, according to MCED. N O T E W O R T H Y S T A T E W I D E The U.S. Department of Education awarded 12 Maine colleges and universities a total of $3.65 million grant funding through the Student Support Services Program. Kaplan University announced degree programs for a Bachelor of Science in Cybersecurity, Master of Science in Cybersecurity Management and Bachelor of Science in Finance. Downeaster aims to woo back riders After a year marred by poor on-time performance attributed to construction projects running longer than normal and the harsh winter, the Downeaster trains returned to normal schedules on Aug. 1 for the fi rst time in four months. e Portland Press Herald noted that performance suff ered over the past 15 months, so the Downeaster is trying to get riders to come back. According to the newspaper, the Downeaster is off ering some time-sensitive promo- tions on its website to lure back pas- sengers. When the rail service's books closed June 30, it reported an annual on-time performance of only 30%, which is less than half of Amtrak's national average of 71%. In May, the Downeaster's worst month, not a single train arrived on time, according to the newspaper. And 488 trains, or 13% of the total, were canceled in fi scal 2015, mostly due to construction. Patricia Quinn, executive director of the Northern New England Passenger Rail S O U T H E R N MECA mulls partnership with documentary school — A win-win for Portland's creative district? Maine Lottery sees record year as winnings top $156M, sales near $252M — Lotto pays a lotta dividends More people eating their way through Maine — New sign: Maine is open for eating? Portland nonprofit buys downtown building for $1.4M to protect artist spaces — SPACE Gallery digs its space Chinese investors plan $40M specialty hotel in Auburn — Another sign L/A is looking up Downtown Millinocket group shuts down — Hard to revitalize if no one participates U.S. ruling against Canadian paper import subsidies gets mixed response — Rumford mill's Canadian owner isn't celebrating MMA trustee seeks to abandon Hermon rail tie yard — Dodging a responsibility CMS terminates Medicare, Medicaid payments for Parkview hospital — Really? Outpatient care doesn't count? Ballot question seeks to cut corporate tax breaks — Robbing Peter to pay Paul is not the way to fund clean elections A City On The Move, See What We're All About. A City On The Move, See What We're All About. Team Approach – We bring all the necessary parties to the table to help ensure your experience in Brewer is seamless and straightforward. Your Business is Our Business – Whether you're just starting out, a mature company, or somewhere in between, we're passionate about making sure you succeed. Come and See Why Brewer Means Business. Your Business. Progressive • Creative • Forward Thinking • Resourceful Progressive • Creative • Forward Thinking • Resourceful Contact: D'arcy Main-Boyington, Economic Development Director 207-989-7500, dmain-boyington@brewermaine.gov www.bhbt.com • 888-853-7100 Steve Gurin, SVP/Business Banker likes big challenges. Without a running background, he decided to run a half marathon. With guidance from experts, Steve created a training plan to help him succeed. Have a big goal for your business? Call Steve, who has 25 years of experience and knowledge working with entrepreneurs, to turn your big idea into reality. Most entrepreneurs don't have a financial background Photo by: Chris Pinchbeck

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