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W W W. M A I N E B I Z . B I Z 21 F E B R UA R Y 2 0 , 2 0 1 7 F O C U S T E C H N O L O G Y than shoes for athletes, including nurses, police and construction work- ers who are on their feet all day and need more comfortable and support- ive footwear. Origins of a startup College contacts can lead to collabora- tions that in turn lead to startup com- panies in an ideal innovation system. L&K Manufacturing, which started as a 3-D printer service company that made parts for other companies, emerged after Katon and another student, Vincent Lewis, met at UMaine, Orono. Lewis has since returned to school for his PhD, and has left the company. While at UMaine, Lewis and Katon developed a manufacturing process for Alba-Technic of Winthrop. at com- pany makes protective headgear for ath- letes and the elderly. e two launched the company in June 2014 after their senior capstone design build test of the manufacturing process for Alba-Technic. Initially, L&K made prototypes for commercial products and the aero- space industry. It generated $100,000 in revenue, but the company changed focus to build its own 3-D printers. Because soles from a 3-D printer are very stiff , Katon tried making a more fl exible sole using a Hoka running shoe to see if Cobbler could make a diff er- ent, fl exible material and glue it on as a proof of concept. "Typically a 3-D printer will print a very stiff sole, so many shoe manufac- turers are experimenting with them to try to get better soles," he says, showing a fl exible, thin white soul made from the tiny beads. He adds that it can take a shoe company $3 million to set up and tool a new product line and two years total to get it to market. He saw oppor- tunity in hastening that process and making it less costly. Now focused on developing, mak- ing and selling 3-D printers, Cobbler C O N T I N U E D O N F O L L OW I N G PA G E » LARGE ACCOUNTS Earl Baumgardner 844 556-1159 TOLL FREE VISIT BUSINESS.FAIRPOINT.COM OR EMAIL BUSINESS@FAIRPOINT.COM TO LEARN MORE. BUSINESS Shawn Caron – 855 895-2441 TOLL FREE Ryen Alicandro – 888 604-3964 TOLL FREE • DATA & NETWORKING SOLUTIONS • HOSTED PBX/SIP TRUNKING • DATA CENTER SERVICES FairPoint offers the largest, most robust fiber network in northern New England with more than 17,000+ fiber route miles and 380 network access points. FairPoint offers the largest, most robust fiber network in northern New England ADVANCED SERVICES FROM FAIRPOINT CALL YOUR PORTLAND AREA FAIRPOINT REPRESENTATIVE: *Not all services available in all areas. Services and pricing subject to change. Uninterrupted service not guaranteed. Terms and conditions apply, and term commitments may be required. © 2017 FairPoint Communications, Inc. All rights reserved. FEATURING MANAGED WIRELESS LAN & CLOUD CONTACT CENTER SERVICES MemoryWorks MemoryWorks J. Scott Moody, Economist Pam Villarreal, Texas Economist Barbara S. Schlichtman, JD, Elder Law Catherine Kaczorowski, PhD, JAX Amy Sneirson, JD, Maine Human Rights Commission Tim Armour, CEO, Cure Alzheimer's Fund Dave Clifton, Chair, Rotary International ADRAG Marilyn Gugliucci,PhD, UNE + Dana Alliance "Successful Aging" Speakers: 2017 Aging & Memory Conference The Silver Tsunami is washing ashore in Maine. Billions of retirement dollars spent for elder care. Your elder consumers can't spend like their younger selves. Billions of research dollars for Alzheimer's. In 30 years over 450,000 seniors drop out of the population of Maine. Can Maine survive that hit? You don't yet know what you need to know. Start learning on March 30! The Costs of Growing Old in Maine March 30 / Holiday Inn by the Bay, Portland memoryworks.org Register at: What doesn't exist in the What doesn't exist in the What doesn't exist in the What doesn't exist in the What doesn't exist in the What doesn't exist in the What doesn't exist in the What doesn't exist in the What doesn't exist in the 3-D printing market now 3-D printing market now 3-D printing market now 3-D printing market now 3-D printing market now 3-D printing market now 3-D printing market now 3-D printing market now 3-D printing market now 3-D printing market now 3-D printing market now 3-D printing market now 3-D printing market now is a printer in which you can swap out materials [easily]. — Andrew Katon

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