Mainebiz

W W W. M A I N E B I Z . B I Z 13 M A R C H 7 , 2 0 1 6 University of Maine, Orono, graduate. "People are coming here to ask how they can help." While his aim is to invent things other people can spin off , his parent company will maintain own- ership of the developments. His fi rst product has a military-police feel to it, but it's for consumers. At its base is a soft, fl exible material made by Tex Tech Industries Inc. of North Monmouth. Bleicken says Grifi n adds more materi- als so it ultimately is half the weight of a Kevlar vest but can be used to make a jacket or a jacket liner that can wrap around a consumer and protect the femoral artery in their thigh. It absorbs the bullet's energy and is reusable. Bleicken still is in the design and testing phases of the jacket with two colleagues, but envisions selling it to civilians who live or work in dangerous areas or war zones for $8,000. He fi rst needs inves- tors so he can make samples, test them and then make a videotape to advertise their value. en he plans to launch a crowdfunding campaign and sell the jackets directly to consumers over the Internet. First biotech company Stewart Hunt may be the general manager for the North American operations of Swiss biotech com- pany InSphero, but he's come home when locating the company's U.S. tissue-culturing operation at Brunswick Landing. Hunt, a biologist who hails from Brunswick, ini- tially looked to lease space within existing large biotech businesses in the state, but discovered he could have an independent lab with support facilities and local talent within an easy drive to Boston, which was a big selling point to the Swiss parent. "I sold the state of Maine to them. It's a bit off the beaten trail but still has proximity to Boston," he says. "And we found people within weeks, including our director of manufacturing, who had worked at Pfi zer." InSphero makes spheroid cell cultures instead of the traditional two-dimensional cell cultures, a devel- opment he calls a game-changer for drug testing. e cultures can help pharmaceutical and industry com- panies developing drugs derisk them more quickly by identifying potential toxic side eff ects faster and having more predictable results, he says. In February the U.S. arm of the Swiss company built out its Brunswick presence so it could start taking and processing orders with North American customers. at move, Hunt says, will simplify order fulfi llment for customers in the company's largest market. Buyers can now place orders directly with the U.S. company. e Brunswick offi ce currently has fi ve employ- ees, which he expects to double by next year. e company uses both its own bio lab and the shared bio lab space at TechPlace that opened recently. " is space is like a blank canvas," he says. "It's a world-class manufacturing site. And it's less than half the cost of other areas [like Boston]." A sport plane you can park in your garage Paul Richards, who has been a private pilot for more than 20 years, has more than one bag of tricks in his pocket at TechPlace, where he is CEO of Wireless Sensors, a restart of a Massachusetts C O N T I N U E D O N F O L L OW I N G PA G E » AUDIT | TAX | VALUATION | CONSULTING How do our valuation and forensic experts size up the numbers, economics, data, and other factors that shape the value of your business or personal assets? Smoothly. Know where you stand, with seasoned advisors who give you a firm edge. GAIN CLARITY. LEARN MORE. 800.432.7202. berrydunn.com.

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