Mainebiz

V O L . X X I I I N O. V I M A R C H 2 0 , 2 0 1 7 14 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 proposed budget cuts for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. e Ellsworth American reported that NOAA provides $1.2 million of MSG's $1.8 million budget. "We've been zeroed out," MSG director Paul Anderson said at the recent Maine Fishermen's Forum, the American reported. N O T E W O R T H Y N O R T H E R N & E A S T E R N Eastern Maine Community College in Bangor announced it will offer a one-year certifi cate in plumbing pro- gram starting in the fall of 2017. Chris Mullen and Tora Johnson of Machias launched mongr.net, an online store offering Bristol Bay sockeye salmon with 10% of profi ts supporting Atlantic salmon restora- tion in Maine. EMMC in Bangor introduced a new Concussion Management Program led by Medical Director Duska Thurston. The clinic treats anyone who has concussion symptoms, including athletes who experience head impact during play as well as children or adults who have symp- toms caused by a trauma or fall. Katahdin Bankshares Corp., parent company of Katahdin Trust Co. in Houlton, announced that it has de- clared a cash dividend of 10 cents a share for the fi rst quarter of 2017. The dividend will be payable on March 24 to all shareholders of record as of March 18. Danny and Sandy Collins recent- ly re-opened the Riverside Inn Restaurant in Presque Isle. THERE IS THERE IS A DIFFERENCE A DIFFERENCE THERE IS Because Construction Management Design/Build General Contracting Engineering Construction Management Design/Build General Contracting Engineering Sheridan Sheridan Construction Construction www.sheridancorp.com www.sheridancorp.com Fairfield Fairfield Portland 207-453-9311 207-453-9311 207-774-6138 BerryDunn eyes further expansion, $80M in revenue by 2021 B y R e n e e C o r d e s P o r t l a n d — After opening a Phoenix offi ce this January, Portland-based accounting and consulting fi rm BerryDunn is eyeing further expansion. John Chandler, the fi rm's president and managing prin- cipal, said he hopes to increase the staff in Phoenix from the initial eight to about 20 people within two to three years while adding staff at home. The fi rm may also open another offi ce in a locale yet to be determined. "As long as we can continue to grow in our consulting practice, and we're looking to do that, we're looking to add people here in Po rtland as well because we live here and we like it here," he told Mainebiz. However, "to the extent that we can't fi nd the people or the clients' opportunities are outside Maine, that's where we're going to go, because we know we can't be dependent on growth within this region." Since 1999, when Chandler took the reins, the fi rm has grown from approximately 100 employees to 312, including the eight new hires in Arizona. He said the goal is to reach 360 employees and $80 million in revenue by 2021, com- pared to $57.7 million in fi scal year 2016. The Portland offi ce leads the pack with 186 employees, followed by Manchester, N.H., with 49; Bangor with 30: Charleston, W.Va., with 14; and Phoenix. Another 25 employ- ees work remotely, and the fi rm has done work for clients in 48 states, including Alaska (but not yet Hawaii). While audit and assurance account for 55% of BerryDunn's service mix, consulting is growing the fastest. BerryDunn's growth has been almost all organic, with only two acquisitions in more than four decades. "There are people who do mergers to get revenue," said Chandler. "What we do is mergers to fi ll needs in terms of staffi ng, in terms of talent, in terms of people who would be very accretive to our overall plan and our goal." Chandler said the move out west was driven by consulting work for local government and state and Medicaid agencies in several states, for which Phoenix will become a regional hub. "Phoenix is great growing area and will be our hub for serving our clients in the western half of the country," he noted. "We also fi nd that we're able to attract staff. People like to live there, and we feel that we'll be able to recruit people into that offi ce." In Maine, BerryDunn faces the same workforce challenges as other large employers. "It's diffi cult to fi nd experienced people for our traditional audit and tax practice areas," said Chandler. "I think it's because fi rms like ours are pretty good places to work, and so it's rare that you can take an experienced person from your neighbor and have that all work out." On the other hand, he reported having great luck with qualifi ed people who move to Maine for lifestyle reasons and New England college graduates hired as full-timers fol- lowing internships. Although BerryDunn does not have any offi ces abroad, it does work on behalf of foreign companies — mainly from Canada — doing business in the United States. "We'll work with anyone that has needs that our skill set fi ts," said Chandler. B R I E F John Chandler, president and managing principal of Berry Dunn, says the accounting and consulting fi rm sees growth potential in other markets, including Phoenix. F I L E P H O T O / T I M G R E E N WAY

• Cover