Mainebiz

W W W. M A I N E B I Z . B I Z 31 J U N E 1 2 , 2 0 1 7 F O C U S S M A L L B U S I N E S S On a recent visit, Breece provided a tour of WoodenBoat's campus — an old estate that includes the headquar- ters, a bookstore-gift shop and several buildings devoted to boatbuilding and waterfront activities. He discussed his passion for wooden boats and strate- gies to grow readership. Here's an edited transcript: Mainebiz: How were you introduced to WoodenBoat? Andrew Breece: In the mid-80s my dad had a dear friend who was into sailing and wooden boats. is friend said to my dad, 'You should really be reading this magazine.' My father got a subscription, and growing up it was always around the house. I certainly couldn't read at age 2 or 3, but I could observe shapes and colors — and as a young kid looking through this maga- zine I observed all those shapes and colors, and that's when the bug bit me. It just stirred my soul. MB: What brought you to economics? AB: I thought I wanted to be an investment banker. But when I was a senior in college, I went to an interview and looked around at all these people in their cubicles, working 80 hours a week, and every single one looked, to me, miserable. at's when I realized it wasn't worth it. So I said, 'I'm not going to follow my brain. I'm going to follow my heart.' I've always loved boats, so I went to e Landing School to study yacht design and see if I could make a go in the boating industry. MB: President Jim Miller brought you on to fi nd ways to expand read- ership. Does that mean there was a circulation problem? AB: WoodenBoat's circulation peaked in the 1990s. Before the invention of the internet and Amazon, circulation was over 100,000, worldwide. en the newsstand sales eroded. For the most part, our subscribership remained steady. But we used to have a 50/50 split — 50% subscribers and 50% newsstand buyers or people buying off the shelf. Today, news- stand is more than cut in half. MB: When did the drop-off begin? AB: It all started about 20 years ago, where every year there was about a 3% decline in newsstand sales. It's been a slow but steady decline. Now it's hit, more or less, rock bottom, in the sense that we've leveled off and we've found the new norm. Subscribership has also decreased lightly, but that's THE VALUE OF A BUCK. OF A BUCK. You understand the value of a dollar. Early mornings. Late nights. Tenacity, wit, and a work ethic that means you never quit, you never settle. Neither do we. Our team honors your lifelong effort with the same level of dedication — and the same work ethic — that it took to realize your dreams. First Advisors PERFORMANCE YOU CAN TRUST First Advisors Investment Management. Retirement Planning. Trust Services | firstadvisorsonline.com | 866-563-1900 PROTECTING DREAMS | Securities and investment products are not bank deposits, are not insured by the FDIC or any other government agency, are not obligations of, nor guaranteed by, any bank or bank affiliate, and may involve investment risk, including the possible loss of value or principal amount invested. Brunswick Office Space for Sale and Lease All SVN® Offices Independently Owned and Operated. Sales | Leasing | Tenancy | Local & National Representation 21,000 SF Two story building. Accommodates up to 160 workstations. Also includes 9,000 SF structure suitable for storage. 400 + paved parking spaces on site. Attractive Rates, Inquire Today! 24,000 SF Former call center. Configuration includes large bullpen, executive offices, conference/training rooms, and break rooms. Furnishings included. C O N T I N U E D O N F O L L OW I N G PA G E »

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