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V O L . X X I I I N O. V I M A R C H 2 0 , 2 0 1 7 24 coff ee. It was mud, man, no fi lter. It was just wonderful and delicious." At home, they treat employees well, raising salaries of several staff in 2016 and investing in equipment including a new bridge crane system that reduces the strain of moving large sacks of cof- fee. ey also installed a new roaster to boost capacity, and expect to roast over a million pounds of coff ee in 2017 from 815,000 pounds last year. While the Garvers put a lot of their own money into the business, they have also relied on outside fi nancing including bank loans from Bath Savings Institution, which has supported them from the start. "It was very clear from day one that the Garvers demonstrated great passion for their work, for their industry, for sup- porting the coff ee growers and providing an excellent product," says Julie Wagoner, senior vice president, community devel- opment and commercial lending. e Garvers have come a long way since starting in a cramped space in Brunswick. Not only does Wicked Joe have a loyal following in Maine, it is also now distributed in 48 states, and expects to be in 50 states by the end of 2017. Distributors include Hannaford Brothers Co. and Shaw's Supermarkets, as well as two of the largest natural and organic food distributors in the country, KeHE Distributors LLC of Naperville, Ill., and United Natural Foods Inc., which is based in Providence, R.I. Before partnering with Hannaford, Bob Garver ran it by the owners of Morning Glory, not because he needed their permission, but out of respect for an early an important retail customer. ey gave their blessing, and Urquhart says the added visibility actually helped their own sales of Wicked Joe. He and his wife, Susan Tarpinian, also appreci- ate regular visits from Bob to their shop. "He's a smart guy and it's been interest- ing to watch him grow," Urquhart says. Green and sustainable e Garvers' commitment to sustain- ability extends to energy effi ciency, by for example investing in more expensive coff ee roasting equipment to cut the use of fossil fuels and overall emissions, using solar power for heating and using electric forklifts and delivery vans. While annual sales growth for the past decade has remained steady at 10% to 30%, getting bigger isn't a goal. "Our growth has been very strong and extremely steady," Bob says, "but we want our growth to be sustainable." Renee CorDeS, Mainebiz senior writer, can be reached at rcorDeS @ mainebiz.biz » C O N T I N U E D F RO M P R E V I O U S PA G E Bob and Carmen Garver Ages: Both are 54 Favorite place outside of work: Bob Garver: Home, or wherever Carmen and our daughters are. Carmen Garver: Home with my family. Leadership icon: BG: Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain, an incredible natural leader, a Mainer, a scholar, and a soldier who answered his country's call in a noble cause and played a part, through his courage and instinctive leadership, in shaping the future of his country. CG: My parents, who immigrated to the United States with a strong Scottish work ethic, and who taught me to always look forward and add value, influence others, work hard, get a good education, and be willing to take risks — and most importantly, to believe in myself and my own per- sonal potential. Maine's biggest challenge: BG: An aging population coupled with the brain drain. The quality of the workforce in Maine is high, but an older workforce along with younger people leaving Maine creates a chal- lenge for the future. We have been lucky so far to have gotten so many great employees, but going forward this figures to loom large. CG: Creating comparative job oppor- tunities for Maine's college grads. Maine's biggest opportunity: BG: Maine's reputation as a clean, beautiful state creates good will for our products and a great, support- ive environment for entrepreneurs of all stripes, notably in craft food and beverages CG: To lead in areas of technology, and energy diversity. Best business advice: BG: Work hard, behave with integrity and treat people well. CG: Follow your instincts and lead with a kind heart and with integrity. EVERYBODY LEADS Engaged. Empowered. Team Hancock. Team Hancock. T "The "The "T re is a g re is a g re reat deal o at deal o at f deal of deal o power to be tapped in creating an or ating an or at ganiza ing an organiza ing an or tion wher wher wh e ere er ever ever ev ybody leads erybody leads er ...wher wher wh e ere er ever ever ev ybody erybody er makes decisions...wher wher wh e ere er ever ever ev ybody erybody er 's empowered." ered." er - Kevin Hancock www.HancockLumber.com/Culture

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