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W W W. M A I N E B I Z . B I Z 21 JA N UA R Y 2 5 , 2 0 1 6 lines of business-personal, commercial, life and bonds. "We're small in our industry, but we're pretty big for revenue and employment for the state of Maine," Merrill says. Tyler Technologies' plans for expan- sion prompted Merrill and his board to review their long-term goals. Tyler offered to renew the lease for another 10 years, which the board considered. But the board decided it was the right time to own and build new. Patriot prides itself as being the approachable, hometown alternative, where employees are part of the com- munity and consumers might run into the president at the grocery store. "Within a week of putting the property under contract, I ran into the assistant fire chief for Yarmouth, who says, 'You insure my car,'" Merrill says. "A fellow in the grocery store says, 'I haven't seen you in years, but I want you to know you have my insurance.'" Merrill, the management team and the board meticulously analyzed the company's needs for a new and permanent office location that would accommodate growth. "We spreadsheet everything we needed — what was important to us and what was important to our employees," Merrill says. A primary consideration was geog- raphy. Employees commute from all directions, so close access to Interstate 295 and Route 1 was important. "e interstate exits and Route 1 — the ability to get to the turnpike — were critical," he says. "We looked at other towns in the area, and only a few met that need. Yarmouth is great because it's got two exits to the inter- state. You can shoot down Route 1 and hop onto the turnpike. So it's accessible to our employees from all directions." Access to services was also impor- tant. Employees tend to go into town during lunch or after work for per- sonal needs — shop for groceries, go to the drugstore and the like. Other considerations included a nearby post office, an excellent fiber- optic network and exercise opportu- nities. Of the last, "We have a lot of employees who like to walk, run, bike, play basketball, go to the Y — before, after, even during work," he says. "I've got employees who shoot baskets at lunchtime in the parking lot, where there's a hoop. Some mountain bike after work. So we wanted to have a site with good access to a trail system." Character-based codes In keeping with Patriot's attention to employee needs, the company also maintains close connections with the community. "We wanted to be in a commu- nity where we could be an integral part," Merrill says. "We've contrib- uted to library renovation here, to the historical society when they took over a building and renovated it, and to food drives. We feel our presence here makes a difference, and we feel we can do a lot more." "It's a great project for Yarmouth," says Economic Development Director Denise Clavette. Clavette became Yarmouth's economic development director in January 2015. She has worked not only with Patriot Insurance on its expan- sion but other businesses consider- ing expansion in Yarmouth. "Patriot Insurance met with town staff early in their process," she says. Patriot is eager to be one of Yarmouth's first projects to be consid- ered and approved under the town's new Route 1 character-based codes, says Clavette. e town began to develop new codes for two Route 1 "sub-districts" about two years ago, says Alex Jaegerman, director of plan- ning and development. "It's a post-World War II, suburban style development area," he says. "We want to have it grow and develop in a manner that's complementary to the Yarmouth village character. What that means is, we'll be working on mak- ing Route 1 a multi-user street. We've been building and extending pathways, and the buildings that develop over time will be more pedestrian-focused. When people think of Yarmouth, they think of Main Street and its his- toric structures. While Route 1 isn't historic in that way, it can be more reflective of that character. Route 1 is a major commercial thoroughfare. We want to make it an area that speaks to Yarmouth's history and personality. As each project develops — Patriot being an important one — it can contribute to that transformation." Under the codes, the Patriot build- ing will have traditional New England architecture, fitting within Yarmouth's historical character, along with a well- designed landscape and gardens, and will connect to the town's walking path. "ey're talking about connectiv- ity to the community and integrating their business in a mixed-development neighborhood," says Clavette. "When you look at all of that, it's a win-win." L a u r i e S c h r e i b e r , a w r i t e r b a s e d i n B a s s H a r b o r, c a n b e r e a c h e d a t e d i t o r i a l @ m a i n e b i z . b i z ...to help you reach new heights. When our community needs us, we're there too, as sponsors and volunteers to more than 25 area non-profi ts. WHEN YOU NEED US, WE'RE HERE. nhdlaw.com • Portland (207) 774-7000 • Lewiston (207) 777-5200 Welcome, Bill! Katahdin Trust is pleased to announce that Bill Lucy has joined our business banking team as Senior Vice President, Commercial Services. An Orono native, Bill brings 35 years of experience in banking to his role at Katahdin Trust. As a member of the senior management team, Bill will be responsible for business lending and development in the greater Bangor area. Find out how Katahdin Trust can help grow your business! 1-800-221-2542 KatahdinTrust.com

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