Mainebiz

V O L . X X I N O. X X V I N OV E M B E R 1 6 , 2 0 1 5 10 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 an exclusive license to key technolo- gies and patents from e Jackson Laboratory in Bar Harbor. N O T E W O R T H Y M I D C O A S T & D O W N E A S T Pen Bay Healthcare in Rockport an- nounced the opening of CarePartners, a program for those without health insurance who have trouble paying for health care, medications and other services, in the Pen Bay Healthcare Picker Family Resource Center at 756 Commercial St. U.S. Cellular built a new cell site in Northeast Harbor to increase cover- age in the towns of Northeast Harbor, Mount Desert, Southwest Harbor, Tremont and Cranberry Isles. UMaine plans to purchase more local food e University of Maine System will evaluate bids from dining service ven- dors who could meet the system's goal of purchasing 20% of its food from local sources by 2020. e system's chief procurement offi cer, Rudy Gabrielson, said he was pleased with the response. to the request for proposals. e system announced the 20% goal in August. It calls for the provider to purchase 15% of its food from local producers in the fi rst year of the contract, and the percentage will increase until reaching 20% in 2020. e 20% goal would equal about $1.7 million in local food purchasing. ATTN: BUSINESS OWNERS & MANAGERS: Save $$$ on your company's heating AND AC bills!!! The ductless heat pump The latest technology is typically 1/2 the cost of heating with oil, propane, kerosene or electric baseboard Save up to 35% on your company's energy consumption One unit provides heating and cooling with easy zone installation Low cost heating in the Winter AND efficient AC in the Summer Provides improved air quality Call Maine Electrical Alliance today! 1-888-666-1947 MaineElectricalAlliance.org Some restrictions may apply $ 1600 for commercial installs!! *Efficiency Maine — up to $1250 in rebates *Maine Electrical Alliance — up to $350 in rebates for SAVE up to Nip It In The Bud Let Bill help you nip your dispute in the bud. (207) 808-2164 mainelawyerservices.com Litigation, like weeds, can easily get out of control consuming time, money, and resources. Early intervention through mediation or arbitration can end disputes efficiently and privately. In his 35 years practicing law in Maine, Bill Robitzek has litigated thousands of cases — large and small — and is listed in Best Lawyers. Super Lawyers has named him a Top Rated Alternative Dispute Resolution Attorney in New England. Bill is a former president of the Maine State Bar Association and the New England Bar Association. Gifford's will spend $1.6M to expand ice cream production G i f f o r d 's Fa m o u s I c e C r e a m , a Skowhegan-based family business, is planning its most signifi cant expansion to date, it said Nov. 5. To accommodate future growth, Gifford's will add 3,810 square feet to its 48,000-square-foot Skowhegan facility to make room for new production equip- ment. The new equipment will allow work- ers to run two production lines simultane- ously, doubling the production capacity for ice cream packaged for retail. The ice cream maker has nearly 1,000 retail clients from Maine to Virginia and as far west as Illinois. Retail makes up a smaller portion of the business than wholesale accounts, but it has seen more growth, about 16% a year, said John Chester Gifford Jr., vice president of sales at the fi fth-generation company. Sales for the entire operation, including selling its three-gallon tubs to its wholesale market of independent ice cream shop, institutions and restaurants, have grown 12% to 15% over the last three to four years, he said. And that makes for a lot of ice cream. The company expects to produce 1.9 million gallons of the frozen stuff this year and exceed 2 million gallons next year, he said. "There are opportunities for us to continue that growth and have a rather large jump," Gifford told Mainebiz. "This allows us to go out there and continue to sell." As part of the expansion, the company hopes to add at least two full-time employees to its staff of 37 full-timers by next summer. The $1.6 million expansion, expected to be completed in April 2016, will double the retail packaging capacity. It will also make the whole production operation more effi cient. The new equipment includes two more large steam kettles, a new quart container fi ller and a new shrink wrapper for retail packaging. The company makes 85% to 90% of the bases and ripples that go in the ice cream, so the increased capacity will allow workers to make those at the same time, Gifford said. And although the company hasn't yet run into produc- tion capacity issues, Gifford said the new equipment will allow the company achieve its expected growth. "Nothing holds us back from where we need to go now," he said. — P a u l K o e n i g P H O T O / C O U R T E S Y O F G I F F O R D ' S FA M O U S I C E C R E A M Quarts of Gifford's Famous Ice Cream are fi lled at its production facility in Skowhegan. N O R T H E R N & E A S T E R N

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