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W W W. M A I N E B I Z . B I Z 29 J U N E 1 3 , 2 0 1 6 S M A L L B U S I N E S S F O C U S Sea Dog space comes alive In the meantime, contractors at the Sea Dog are working to get the pub and eatery fi nished for a grand opening in early July. Founded in Camden in 1993, in the former Knox Woolen Mill, Sea Dog closed in 2002 due to fi nancial diffi culties. Fred Forsley, co-founder and president of Shipyard Brewing, purchased Sea Dog in 2003, opened Sea Dog brewpubs in Topsham, Bangor and South Portland, and expanded distribution. e company has put considerable care into the renovation of the former Cappy's, in recent months gutting the space to the timbers and brick, then bringing it up to code and making it accessible to all guests with the addi- tion of a full-size elevator. "It's been quite a process," says Bunting. "We want to be respectful of the building's history, but at the same time, it is 2016 — and both buildings needed to be brought up to today's standards." Certain elements, such as the upstairs bar, will be retained in homage to Cappy's; a showpiece brew tank is being installed in homage to the origi- nal Sea Dog's brewing system. Bunting expects to hire 60 to 80 employees for the summer, with a core of 30 to 50 year-round. "It takes a lot of employees to run a restaurant," he says. "Our goal is to hire as many people as we can from within the immediate area, because they tend to have the strongest connections to the community. We want to be part of that community and assist in any way we can in the employment picture." In all, 13 new and transitioning busi- nesses were celebrated at the fi fth annual "Business is Blooming" event — hosted by the Camden Area Business Group, town of Camden, Camden Public Library, Camden Garden Club and the Penobscot Bay Regional Chamber of Commerce — held mid-May, two weeks before the season got its fi rst surge of tourists for Memorial Day weekend. For a downtown densely packed with small businesses, 13 sounds like a lot of new activity. But it's pretty typical, says Karen Brace, Camden's community develop- ment director. "It goes up and down each year," Brace says. " e economy is doing well and fi rst-fl oor retail and restaurant spaces are very hard to come by. So when something opens up, it tends to fi ll fast." Year-round economy Unlike some other coastal towns, Camden enjoys a year-round econ- omy. Whereas hotels and restau- rants typically close for the winter in locations such as Bar Harbor, many remain open in Camden. "We have a large year-round popu- lation, which helps these businesses be stable," says Brace. "We have major conferences and events throughout the year, and more coming. ese contribute tremen- dously to the stability of our econ- omy," Brace says, citing September's Camden International Film Festival, October's Pop Tech and February's Camden Conference as examples. Investments in the Lyman-Morse at Wayfarer, Sea Dog, 16 Bay View and other establishments boost Camden's economy and add vitality, says Brace. e town contributes to revitalization through plans such as public land- ing improvements, with more green space and a new harbor walkway. e town's economic development commit- tee works to attract and retain busi- ness, through initiatives such as visiting existing businesses and organizations to listen to their needs. A primary focus is on millennials who, now having families, are drawn to Camden for its fi ne school system. e committee is also reaching out to more conferences. " ose are major economic drivers — the millennial population, the cre- ative economy and our conferences," says Brace. As a small community, synergy — between business, residents and the town — is a byword. "We consider Camden to be a campus," says Brace. "When a confer- ence comes, we work closely with the downtown business group. It's a partnership. We couldn't do anything without all partners being involved." "Anytime you're in a relatively small community," Bunting adds, "it's more than putting the 'open' sign out. It's a community. It's people interacting. And then there's the role of business in a small downtown, and how we can be a positive infl uence. We want to be part of why Camden is such an amazing location." 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 We do. Get some of your day back. Who has the time to deal with daily IT issues? Systems Engineering IT Services 207.772.3199 syseng.com / ITME Congratulations to our client Masahiko Miyake and all other U.S. Small Business Administration Award winners from Maine Masahiko Miyake Miyake, LLC Portland MINORITY-OWNED SMALL BUSINESS OF THE YEAR AWARD WINNER FOR MAINE AND NEW ENGLAND www.ceimaine.org 207.504.5900 This is one of the best This is one of the best This is one of the best This is one of the best This is one of the best This is one of the best This is one of the best This is one of the best This is one of the best harbors on the East harbors on the East harbors on the East harbors on the East harbors on the East harbors on the East harbors on the East harbors on the East harbors on the East harbors on the East harbors on the East harbors on the East harbors on the East Coast, and to be front and center here is huge for us. — Drew Lyman Lyman-Morse Boatbuilding Co.

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